Renegade Weyr
by Asukasammy
Summary: When a Brownrider meets a runner at gather, he discovers a hidden Weyr in the West. **Updated with Chapter 28!**
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - not a major rewrite, but just some tweaking here and there - so I definitely recommend rereading everything. Plus, I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her approval._

_~AS  
_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

(_Nine Years after Avias_)

Southern Boll Hold was dressed out in its best finery for the first gather of the summer season. Brightly colored flags emblazoned with the hold crest hung from the hold windows, flapping in the light breeze, while ships bobbed in the harbor. Gather stalls decorated a field with round tables framing a wooden square floor for dancing. Dragons watched from the fireheights, their whirling multicolored eyes adding to the gaiety as their riders mingled with the holders below.

N'kar paused as he stepped away from the traders' booth, listening to the harper music drifting through the air. He had come to the gather so he could visit with his family, and his mother and sisters had insisted that he accompany them while they shopped. Now the brownrider's arms were piled high with boxes and he was annoyed with himself for not escaping with his brother in law to the races. Even though he could barely stand the man, it would have been better than this! Thankfully the women took pity on him and led him to one of the tables surrounding the dancing square. He set the boxes in the middle of the table, and sat down heavily on one of the benches surrounding it.

_Out of shape?_ Elanth questioned drowsily from his spot on the cliffs above the hold.

_You try carrying around that many boxes for that long_. Weren't dragons supposed to be supportive of their riders? He shook his head, absently pushing back the locks of hair that fell into his eyes.

"Your hair's getting shaggy again; you really should let me cut it before you leave." His mother reached over and finger combed his hair for a minute, before patting him on his shoulder. "You haven't talked about Nelladwyn at all today! How is my grandson doing?"

N'kar winced, "Nelladwyn is good. He's learning all his teaching ballads perfectly and says hello." It wasn't completely a lie; the boy's foster mother said he was doing well enough.

"Oh, how sweet!" His mother cooed, totally oblivious to her son's discomfort. "You should have brought him with you; it would do the boy some good to get outside of the weyr for a bit."

"I wish I could've... but he had chores to do." Another lie. However, Nelladwyn was old enough that the Headwoman, Manora, had probably started assigning him chores.

"Ah, here comes Bayhon with some food." She stood and rushed off with her eldest daughter to great her son-in-law.

"Nelladwyn's still not speaking to you, is he?" Sakina, his youngest sister, asked.

"No." N'kar sighed. "He speaks to me only when his foster mother or the weyrharper forces him too, otherwise..." The brownrider shrugged trailing off.

"Still blames you for his mother?" She probed her voice caring and gentle. He nodded, thinking of Llydwen, his former weyrmate. The holder girl had never been able to adjust to weyrlife and had left without a trace when their son was three turns old. Nelladwyn had been immediately fostered with a lower caverns woman, but apparently the boy had heard stories, and now refused to acknowledge his father.

"It wasn't your fault," Sakina started in an attempt to soothe her brother.

"That's not an excuse." He had been warned against taking Llydwen as a weyrmate multiple times. Dragonriders were hardly known for being monogamous and his wingmates had reminded him of that, and had pointed out that she may not be able to cope with mating flights. However he had been young, and had thought he could do it all; be a good rider for Elanth and have a normal relationship like his father and mother.

"What's not an excuse, N'kar?" Bayhon asked suddenly, dropping a tray of tubers and wherrymeat above on the table in front of them. His wife, N'kar's oldest sister, stood nearby carrying extra plates and cups. The tall holder grinned at Sakina, and then turned his attention to the brownrider. N'kar knew that the holder did not approve of some of the activities that went on in the Weyrs during mating flights, so he was already prepared to ignore any veiled insult or insinuations. "Having a heart to heart with your brother? How touching. Given him any advice on women? Y'know if a holder or hall girl just won't do it, maybe a greenrider will? I heard that more and more girls are beginning to impress greens, or maybe you prefer..."

"Have you found any land yet?" Sakina asked quickly cutting the man off.

"No, not yet." The brownrider smiled gratefully at her.

"You could stay with us at the hold once thread ends." His elder sister, Selema, offered. "There's always room for family."

"I'd rather find my own place."

_We will not be indebted to holders again._ Elanth said, echoing the now popular sentiment among weyrfolk.

_I thought you were going to sleep_.

_I was, but then more dragons arrived and I had to move._ _There are two very pretty greens here now but they won't talk to me._ _There's a small bronze and a blue that keep watch on them constantly. _The dragon sounded annoyed, _They're very nervous._

_Maybe they're coming into heat?_ The brownrider suggested in an attempt to soothe the dragon.

_No, I would know. And no one else has seen them before. The large green isn't right, she's nearly as big as me, but she isn't a green._

_How can a green not be a green?_

_I don't know, I don't understand. She's green, but she isn't a green._

_I give up._ N'kar's brain hurt from trying to understand Elanth's logic. _Try to ignore them and go to sleep._

"Bayhon, do you have the wine?" Selema asked her husband.

"I thought you had it." For once Bayhon was at a loss for words as she glared at him.

"I'll get it." N'kar offered and stood up, checking his mark pouch to make sure he had enough.

His mother frowned at him, "I thought you wanted to visit with us?"

"I'm just going to get some wine. I'll be right back." He kissed her on the cheek, and started off through the maze of gather tables. Sakina tagged along as well, and he led her in the direction of where the food was being sold; figuring that the wine stand would be nearby.

They found a spot at the back of the line for the vintner, and chatted while they waited. N'kar relaxed, listening to his sister's easy voice. Unlike his mother, she knew not to ask uncomfortable questions about Nelladwyn and weyrlife. Instead she told him about life in the hold; he heard tales about the people she met daily, about the time the chains for Bayhon's cart broke, and the time Selema had overcooked the hold bread.

The line in front of them soon became shorter and then they were one away from the front. The brownrider studied the skins of chilled wine sitting on shelves, in buckets of snow from the barrier range, and hanging from their straps on pegs. He should be loyal to his Weyr and get the Benden red, but he tended to prefer a good Southern wine more. Unfortunately the Vintner didn't seem to have either.

Beside him Sakina sighed. "I wish they'd hurry up, I'm hungry."

"What?" N'kar gave her a confused look and she nodded her head towards the runner in front of them. The journeywoman deftly balanced a platter of food on one arm and shoulder, her simply braided hair bobbing as she tried to haggle a cheaper price for an already inexpensive skin of wine.

"… The price stays 9 marks, that's the lowest I go."

"But surely vintnermarks are just as good as fishermarks, or harper, or printer for that matter either." The runner protested, shifting the platter to ease the stress on her wrist.

"Girl, need I repeat myself?" The master running the stall said becoming annoyed quickly. "I am a vintner; I have no need for vintnermarks. Now show some fishermarks or another type or move!"

"But…" The journeywoman started again.

"No marks, no wine. Now move so I can help another customer."

"How much is the wine?" N'kar asked stepping forward and gaining both the Vintner and the journeywoman's undivided attention.

"N-nine marks, brownrider." The master stammered noticing the dragonrider's shoulder knots almost immediately. The journeywoman, barely more than a girl N'kar noticed absently, quickly stepped away from him and shot him a nervous look.

"Hmmm." N'kar pursed his lips in thought and pulled out a handful of marks from his mark pouch. He counted out several of the worn wooden rounds then let out a heavy sigh. "I'm afraid all I have are vintnermarks…"

"That's fine, brownrider, very fine." The master held out his hand to take them not wanting to upset a dragonrider.

N'kar raised his eyebrows. "But I thought you just said that you didn't take vintnermarks."

"Benden marks of any type are welcome here." The master stammered, "Even vintners."

"Then you should have no objection to her marks." N'kar nodded at the journeywoman next to him before placing a couple of marks onto the table. "Two chilled skins of your best Istan."

The master scooped up the marks deftly and turned, yelling at his apprentices rapidly. Two skins were soon produced from underneath the table along with some earthenware mugs to drink from. N'kar slipped the straps of the skins over his shoulder like it was a firestone sack. His sister grabbed the other skin and the mugs they needed.

"Well …" The brownrider turned, expecting to find the journeywoman still waiting by the stall. She had already left with her wine though, the only testimony to her existence a small pile of marks on the counter. N'kar shook his head, strangely disappointed that the girl hadn't stayed around; at the very least she could have stayed to say thank you. Sakina started back towards the table and he followed her.

Looking over at the dance square N'kar saw that the dancing had started. The harpers were playing a lively little reel that had the dancers changing partners every few minutes and he paused to watch for a moment, tapping his foot to the beat. He missed dancing; Llydwen had been a horrible dancer and extremely jealous of anyone else he partnered with. Sighing, he turned back, not wanting to lose his sister in the ever-thickening crowds around the square.

The edge of a heavy platter slammed into his stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of him and making him stagger backwards. He smothered a curse and grabbed the platter in an attempt to steady himself and to keep it from spilling its contents all over him. The person carrying the platter gasped and N'kar found himself looking at the runner from the wine stand.

"By Faranth!" Her eyes were wide with shock, and N'kar had a feeling that she would have dropped the platter if he hadn't been holding on to it. "I am so sorry, brownrider. The music - it distracted me! Are you allright? Nothing spilled on you, did it? I'm so sorry!"

"I'm fine." He managed to say after a brief moment of sharp agony. He was surprised when a little blue firelizard stuck his head in the gap where the runner's ear joined her head. It regarded him silently, apparently too lazy to make a fuss at the distraction while his owner continued to apologize profusely.

"N'kar! C'mon, everyone's waiting!" Sakina appeared next to them. She glanced at the runner and immediately narrowed her eyes. "Oh."

He turned to look at his sister, noticing out of the corner of his eye that the blue fire lizard mirrored his actions. "What?"

"Everyone's waiting for the wine."

"Oh," He had forgotten about that during the commotion.

The runner stammered and then apologized again, "I'm... I'm very sorry."

"Yes, well, you should be. Maybe next time you should watch where you're going" Sakina's tone was acid and N'kar stared at his sister, wondering where this vicious tunnel snake had come from. He looked back at the runner, half expecting to find her still cowering – instead her expression had gone very cold and her eyes flashed with anger. She glanced up at him, as if she knew that he was watching her, and suddenly she was shaking so badly again that N'kar began to wonder if he had imagined things.

"Sakina, please calm down." N'kar closed his eyes for a moment, wondering how a simple accident could be blown so out of proportion.

"Why should..."

"Sakina!" The brownrider barked again, "Please. I'm sure the runner here will be more careful in the future."

The girl nodded, and Sakina rolled her eyes skyward, turning her back on them while she grumbled to herself.

"I'm really very sorry about that." N'kar murmured, and let go of the platter.

"Don't be," The runner gulped. "I ran into you." She repositioned her grip on the tray, and held it over head so she wouldn't hit someone else with it. The brownrider could see it wobble slightly as the runner's arms trembled from the stress of keeping it aloft, and he doubted she would be able to make it very far before the whole thing spilled.

Making a sudden decision, he grabbed the edge of the platter and took it from her hands. "Why don't I just help you carry this?"

"You really don't have to do that," The runner protested. She stepped forward and reached up to take it back from him. "I'm quite capable of carrying it myself."

He snorted and shot her a look, easily keeping the food away from her. "And let you go and run into someone else?"

She flinched at his words but stopped trying to take the tray back.

"Good," N'kar smiled apologetically at his sister, and handed her the skins of wine he was carrying. "Here, take this back to the table and tell mother that I'll try to find you after…"

"This," Sakina finished for him, acting sulky. "I'll tell her."

She started back towards the table, shooting yet another glare at the runner over her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd. The brownrider sighed; at least that problem was solved for now. He glanced at the runner, "I'm sorry for her behavior."

The girl snorted and gave his sister's retreating back a look that could fell trees. N'kar chuckled; maybe she wasn't a timid little thing like he originally thought. She looked up at him, but wouldn't meet his eyes, "You really don't have to do this…"

"I don't mind." The brownrider cut her off then gestured for her to lead the way. The girl blushed and started walking quickly, as if she wanted to lose him in the crowd. N'kar had to lengthen his stride to keep up with her, and gave her a bright smile when she turned to check on him. She frowned to herself, but continued to lead him on, finally stopping at a table hidden far back in the shadows near the edge of the gather square.

The glow lanterns here were placed further apart and were dimmer, making it hard to see the details of what was around them. Even so, N'kar was able to make out the figures of three men sitting around the table. Two appeared to be harpers, and another looked like a simple holder. The holder stood to welcome them and gestured for the runner to take his seat, "I thought you would only be gone for a few minutes. What happened?"

"I ran into some problems." The runner nodded at the dragonrider while the holder took the tray of food from him. "N'kar here helped me out."

One of the harpers, a journeyman based off of his shoulder knots, gave her a worried look, "Where these bad problems?"

"One of the vintner's was being stubborn, and your friend was also having a hard time carrying the tray, so I volunteered to help." N'kar spoke up, gaining their attention.

"Yes, thank you for that again. I'm sure you want to get back to your family, they must be wondering where you are…" The runner said in a rush.

"How gallant!" The apprentice harper's face was lit with excitement as he cut her off. "Hardly anyone comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress anymore…"

That seemed to wake the runner up again. She narrowed her eyes at the apprentice, "I am _not_ a…"

"We really must repay you," He continued, ignoring the runner's outburst. "The food stalls are probably all sold out by now, and there's more than enough food here to share…"

The girl frowned as she realized where the he was going with this. "Niranyal, no…"

"So why don't you eat with us?" The harper finished quickly, ignoring the glares of his friends. He smiled up at N'kar. "It's the least we can do."

The brownrider smiled, but shook his head, "Thank you, but your friend is right: I really must be returning to my family."

Niranyal pouted, but the girl seemed to relax in relief. She smiled at him, and N'kar was shocked at how the slight change in expression seemed to alter her appearance drastically. He quickly realized that, not only was she older than he originally thought, but also fairly attractive in her own way. "I am still very sorry about earlier though, why don't you take a bubbly pie?"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind a dance or two later… if you're up for it, of course." Her smile faded as she started at him in shock, and N'kar had to duck his head to hide his embarrassment. By the egg, he felt like such a weyrling! He had become so involved in some of the programs at Landing, and in his job as a dragonrider after Llydwen had left, that he was a bit out of practice when it came to women; especially ones from outside the Weyr. Not that he was even sure why he was asking the runner to dance. Sure she was pretty but her timorous nature was unappealing. However, there was no way to take back his words now, so he forced a smile on his face and blundered on, "How about this; if you are, meet me by the Vintner's stand in an hour or so… If you don't… well… either way, it was a pleasure meeting you Runner…"

She hesitated for a minute, still looking at him like he had grown another head, before shaking the hand he offered her. "Kai, my name is Kai…"

Kai. It was a pretty name, but it was short compared to some of the other girls he knew. "Just Kai?"

"Yes. Just Kai." She jumped, and gave the holder a look. "…I haven't danced in forever, so I may not be the best partner…"

"That's alright. I haven't danced in awhile either."

"I'm sorry dragonrider, but she really can't say to dance." The holder interrupted, scowling at them both. "It's a long way back to our hold, and we must leave as soon as the gather is over with."

"Ah, well. Next time then," N'kar bowed to the runner, and then left as quickly as possible. Oh well. It wasn't as if he couldn't ask Sakina or his mother to dance a round or two.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - not a major rewrite, but just some tweaking here and there - so I definitely recommend rereading everything. Plus, I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her approval._

_~AS_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

Thankfully Sakina had not mentioned what had happened at the Vintner or with the Runner, so N'kar was not bombarded with thousands of questions when he returned to his family's table. He let himself relax a little and quickly served himself to what was left of the food. It was standard gather faire; singed herdbeast meat and tubers, and it was a little bland compared to Weyr food, but he settled on the bench next to Sakina and ate it anyways. She refused to acknowledge his return, and when he started to ask her if she would like to dance, she turned her back on him and talked to Bayhon instead.

So much for that idea.

Instead the brownrider managed to coax his mother into joining him for a simple dance, and then, when she claimed she was tired, he pulled Selema over to the floor with him. As they were walking there was bit of a commotion off to one side of the dance floor, and when N'kar looked over he saw that Kai and the holder at the center of it. They were too far away for him to hear what was being said, but Kai had that furious look on her face again, and the holder was waving his arms around exaggeratedly. Selema shook her head when she noticed them, "I think someone's a little deep in their cups."

"She didn't buy that much wine though." N'kar frowned.

"Do you know her?"

"Only in passing. She was at the wine stand ahead of me, and I helped her out a bit."

"Ah. I wondered where you drifted off to for so long."

"You noticed?"

"Of course. I'm not completely oblivious y'know." Selema gave him a wink. "I just didn't say anything because I know how mother can be. What was the girl like?"

"Nervous. Almost frightened at times, why?"

"That holder with her spoke with Bayhon earlier today about crops and such. He sounded like he might be interested in trading."

"That would be good, wouldn't it?" N'kar knew that while his family's hold did well, and had an excess of stores at times, it wasn't as prosperous as others because it was so out of the way.

"Yes. He just struck me as being off though. Oh sure, he seemed to know what he was talking about when it came to farming, but I doubt the man has ever plowed a field in his life." She sighed, and was about to continue however the harpers chose to start the next dance then. All attempts at conversation died while they tried to keep up with the new steps. It finally ended, leaving N'kar a bit out of breath, and Selema teased him about that on the way back to their table.

Sakina had finally gotten over her sulking by the time they returned, and N'kar was relieved to see her in a much better mood. However Bayhon was ready to leave so he did not get the opportunity to dance with his little sister. He promised to visit soon and wished them a safe journey before deciding to take a trip around the gather stalls on his own. The night was still too young for him to justify returning to the Weyr, and while he had had the opportunity to browse the vendors earlier with his family earlier, he really hadn't been able to do any shopping for himself. A turn around the gather square revealed that most of them were closed, but a few here and there were still open. He took his time looking through the leather that was available at one stand, but he couldn't justify spending so much on specially died hide even if the colors were so vibrant. He attempted to bargain with the journeyman watching over the stall anyways, but the boy was unwilling to budge on the price. The dragonrider put the leather back on the shelf and resumed his walk.

_You are being followed_.

_By whom?_ N'kar was assuming the worst. Gathers attracted holders as well as holdless, and there were always bound to be a thief or two in the mix. Any brigand that might try to attack a dragonrider at a gather was a damn fool though.

_The girl. _Elanth sounded oddly amused.

_What girl?_ He saw Kai out of the corner of his eye, following him at a distance. _Oh. That's a bit daring for one who's so afraid of everything._

_She is also a green who is not a green._

Again with the green who was not a green business! He sighed to himself and turned around to face her, "Hello again."

The runner jumped back a bit, her eyes as large as plates. "How did you know…?"

"Elanth," N'kar pointed up at the fireheights and her smile faltered as she saw all the dragon eyes up there, whirling blue and green orbs watching the activity below. He shook his head and started walking again. "Is there something that I can help you with?"

"I was wondering if you still might be interested in dancing." She turned a bright red as she stumbled over the words.

"Maybe..." What was he saying? Even though her stammering and blushing was beginning to irritate him again, dancing with her would be far better than wandering around by himself. "Of course, the offer is still open. Aren't you supposed to on your way back to your hold right now, though? I wouldn't want to delay your trip."

"A dance or two won't delay me that much. I can catch up with the others before they make camp tomorrow. Probably before they even eat breakfast - knowing how slow their beasts can be."

"Ah." They passed by the dancing square where the harpers were just finishing up a song. They immediately launched into another, which was a lively little jig of sorts. N'kar grabbed Kai's hand and dragged her out onto the floor amongst the other couples. She gasped as his touch and jerked away from him, nearly bumping into another dancer. N'kar frowned. "I thought you said you wanted to dance?"

"I do."

"Well then you'll have to get a bit closer than that." She let him take her hand, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her closer. She stiffened at his touch but did not pull away this time, letting him lead her through the steps. N'kar accidently stepped on Kai's toes once or twice while she tried to keep up, but eventually got the hang of it and was moving as gracefully as any of the other women out on the floor. Soon her cheeks were flushed again, but this time it was from the dance and not from embarrassment. She even smiled at him, and laughed as she clapped for the harpers when the dance ended. Like earlier, even though the change was small it was drastic enough that, if he didn't know better, he would have thought she was an entirely different person.

The harpers started up another tune with a fast beat. N'kar grinned as he recognized the music for the toss dance and turned to the runner beside him, "Care to try another one?"

Kai's eyes widened, "I don't know if I can..."

"What's one more song?" He grabbed her shoulders before she could pull away and pushed her ahead of him towards the middle of the floor. He used to love toss dances when he was younger and had been able to throw a girl fairly high. It had been awhile though so he didn't even know he had the arm strength to do that anymore, but Kai looked light despite having a sturdy build, and it couldn't hurt to give it a try. "Have you ever danced one of these before?"

"It's been ages..."

"Same here." The brownrider admitted. The runner had enough time to give him a panicked look and then the dance was starting. He swept her around and gave her a quick test toss in the air; she landed deftly on her feet and grabbed his hands, letting him pull her back towards him. "See? Not so hard is it?"

She shook her head at him, her brow furrowed in concentration as she braced her hands on his shoulders, preparing herself for him to lift her again. He stumbled though, nearly tripping over his own feet when he forgot one of the steps. N'kar managed to recover himself in time though and tossed her into the air. He caught her and eased her to the ground, then smothered his laughter as she messed up the next step.

Kai lifted her hands in mock defeat, "I did warn you that it had been awhile."

N'kar spun her, "How long?"

"Long enough that I can't remember anymore!"

Another couple almost ran into them and he stepped out of the way quickly to avoid being hit. Kai was not so lucky and tripped over her own feet, gasping as she landed on her rear. The brownrider grabbed her hands and helped her to her feet, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, and led him off the dance floor. "I'm fine. I think maybe we should sit out the next one though."

"That sounds like a good idea," N'kar smiled as he agreed with her. He followed her to a table off to one side of the dance floor where pitchers of water had been set out for the dancers. He grabbed one and greedily sucked down the contents, only stopping when he realized that the drudges attending the table and the runner were staring at him. He sat it back down and waited for the runner to finish drinking before leading her away to a bench set up a short distance away.

Kai sank down gratefully and leaned down to rub at her shin, watching the rider out of the corner of her eye while he collapsed on the bench next to her. "So was your… group… wondering what had happened to you earlier?"

"Not really."

"Your friend didn't look too keen on the idea of you helping me out."

He snorted. "That's putting it mildly. She can be a bit over protective sometimes… My whole family is really..."

"Why?" She interrupted, frowning in thought. N'kar studied her quietly as she continued. "You're a fully grown man _and_ a dragonrider. Who in the world would want to pick a fight with you?"

"No one in their right mind, but… she's not worried about that… It's a long story. Far too depressing for a gather." He wasn't about to discuss Llydwen with a complete stranger – especially one who seemed to become even more attractive now that all the wine from earlier had kicked in. "What about your friends? Weren't they upset with you for leaving them?"

"Only Miro was. He seemed to have forgotten that I was a runner and that I deliver messages to our hold and back all the time, all by my lonesome." She gave a short laugh that sounded almost bitter. "I guess he's a bit over protective himself."

"You can't really blame him… you're a pretty girl."

Kai blushed, and avoided his eyes. "You're just being polite. So what is life in a Weyr like?"

N'kar smiled at her change of topic; so the timid thing from earlier hadn't completely disappeared yet. "Not as exciting as everyone thinks, actually. Mostly it's just sitting around and taking care of your dragon while you wait for thread to fall."

"Really?"

"Really. Elanth makes it all worth it though." He noticed a vintner apprentice making his rounds and motioned the boy over. A few marks later and a small skin of wine was sitting on the bench between him and the runner. "What is it like being a runner? I haven't actually met one before."

"No, I don't suppose you would have, what with having him and all." She looked up at the fire heights where the dragons were still watching. "It's not really all that exciting either… and it's really quite horrible if you get stuck on a trace during a storm, or during fall. There are shelters for us that are set up every so many dragonlengths of course, but they're not very big. It's better than being stuck inside a hold all the time though."

"Where is your hold at?"

She gestured vaguely to the North and the East. "Up in the hills."

"Is it near here?"

"A day or two's run... maybe three depending on the weather."

"Ah. So you're not a fellow Bendenite then." Kai glanced at him sharply and N'kar tapped her shoulder knots. She stiffened at his touch. "I recognize your colors: that pattern is from a hold near Benden, right?"

"Oh… I haven't had a chance to get new ones yet. The holder keeps me busy running this or that around to the other holds in the area, or the cotholds, or the halls. When I get done all I want to do is sleep. Then as soon as I wake up I'm off again. Getting new knots gets lost in the shuffle."

"I can imagine. Is it a nice hold, at least?"

"I guess. I'm not there all that often really." Her gaze was distant and he touched her shoulder again to get her attention. She started, jumping off the bench and then whirling back around to face him.

The brownrider cursed to himself; things had been going so well, and now they were back to square one again. "Is everything alright, Kai?"

"Yes, everything's fine." She laughed nervously. "Or, actually, it isn't. I just realized what time it was! I really need to get going."

"Couldn't you stay for another dance?"

"I don't think that that would be a good idea. Especially after our last dance."

"Well, we could talk more instead…"

"I can't."

"If you're worried about missing meeting up with your group," He stood and she backed up. "Elanth and I could take you to them. If they're traveling as slow as you said, they couldn't have gotten that far."

Kai paled at the suggestion of riding on a dragon. "I appreciate the offer, Brownrider, but I…. it's really not necessary." She sketched a shaky bow. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Safe journey, Runner Kai." N'kar sighed. She didn't hear him though, since she had already disappeared into the crowd.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - not a major rewrite, but just some tweaking here and there - so I definitely recommend rereading everything. Plus, I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her approval._

_~AS_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

In the fading darkness of night, a dragon came out of _Between_ over Benden Weyr bugling out a greeting to the rider on watch. The brown glided ever lower, and, being careful not to jostle his rider to abruptly, it back winged and settled to gentle stop on the soft sands of the werybowl.

N'kar slid from Elanth's back, grateful that the gather and festival was finally over. He slapped his brown's shoulder appreciatively and started off at a slow jog towards the lower caverns, smiling as he caught the scent of fresh bread and klah on the pre-dawn air. No doubt he'd find Manora or one of the other weyrwomen in charge of the kitchens, ordering about the weyrfolk and supervising the preparation of the massive amounts of food needed to feed the Weyr's dragonriders.

He stepped into the dining hall, walking around the empty tables quickly towards the well-lit cavern beyond them. The kitchens were in chaos as usual, all the fires in the hearths burning brightly as men and women worked around them: pushing or pulling this pot over the flames and chopping away at tubers and meat. The noise started the dull throbbing in his head to start again, and he quickly waved a boy over and sent him off for some porridge and klah.

_I told you not to have that last glass of wine_, Elanth spoke from their weyrledge, high on the rim of the weyrbowl. His voice was concerned, but also a little smug.

_And I'll listen to you next time_, N'kar replied. He thanked the weyrling when he returned with a tray piled with porridge and some fresh fruit from Southern, then headed to a table and bench as far away from the confusion of the kitchens as possible. Benden's other dragonriders began to drift in to the dining hall as he sat down, he nodded at several of them as they passed by, and a few of his wingmates quickly settled down at the table around him with their own platters of food.

_That's what you said last time_, the brown replied, _and the time before that…and the time before that._

_All right! I'll definitely listen to you next time… _

_You also said that last time… _

Two hands settled on the rider's shoulders dragging his attention away from his dragon's response. An overly cheerful voice came from somewhere behind him, loud enough to make him wince in pain, "Well, if it isn't R'nahl's missing wingsecond! Tell us, was the dancing so good that you forgot you and a certain wingmate of yours were supposed to fly watch this morning?"

"I thought I told you that I switched watches with R'nahl." N'kar responded quietly, rolling his eyes skyward as a lanky auburn haired blue rider straddled the bench next to him.

"You did. That doesn't mean I'm going to forgive you for it though… Hey, are you going to eat that?" The rider asked, stabbing a piece of fruit from N'kar's plate with his knife. "It was pure misery the whole time… him and that goldrider of his had gotten into another argument about something…"

"Really? What about?" A girl with short cropped blond hair and greenrider shoulder knots slid onto the bench across from them.

"G'morning, dearheart, how'd you sleep?" The bluerider asked around a slice of fruit.

The girl gave him a slightly disgusted look, "Don't speak with your mouthful, D'rean."

"Feel the love. Anyways, apparently he tried to kill a crawler who'd taken up residence in one of his boots and she threatened to have her queen burn it… So I had to listen to him complain for six hours straight." D'rean quickly swallowed his fruit, then waved his knife loosely at N'kar. "You owe me…big time. I think a skin of good Ruathan or some of that new Southern brew ought to do it."

"How was the watch, anyways?" N'kar asked, taking a sip of klah before starting in on his porridge.

"I just told you: it was sharding atrocious. Absolute torture." A sly smile slid over his face, "Here's an idea, instead of forcing us to clean the latrines as punishment, have us take a watch with our beloved leader. Don't you think that's a good idea, Gineara?"

The greenrider rolled her eyes skyward in response, causing D'rean to scowl. "Oh like your idea about colonizing the islands was any better."

"At least mine solves a problem. Yours is… just… well… stupid." She flicked her hand away from her, at a complete loss for words.

"Stupid!"

"Oh, come on you two!" N'kar winced as his head gave a particularly painful throb. "Not so loudly, please."

_I told you . . ._ Elanth began again.

_I know! I know!_ The brownrider sighed and rubbed at his temples, then looked up to find both of his wingmates watching him. "Gineara, you've been with D'rean how long now? You should know by now that he's only joking."

She raised a delicate eyebrow while D'rean turned his scowl on him.

N'kar blinked. "By the first egg, you're serious!"

"You would be too if you had to get up before dawn to listen to that pompous…"

A platter with fruit and another mug of klah settled on the table next to N'kar's, "Pompous. Now that's a new one. Working on improving your vocabulary, D'rean?"

D'rean choked on the sip he had just taken from N'kar's Klah. After coughing several times, he finally managed a reply. "Diligently, sir."

N'kar laughed and nodded at his wingleader, "R'nahl."

"You're up early."

"Rhemyth says he just got in a few minutes ago." Gineara smiled at N'kar, her expression nearly as sly as D'rean's.

R'nahl gave him a questioning look. "Really, was the Gather that good?"

N'kar shrugged then dug into his breakfast porridge. "Not particularly. It was just another gather. You see one, you've seen them all."

"Why did you go then?"

"I hadn't seen the family in awhile."

R'nahl nodded while Gineara's smile grew. "But I thought you weren't going to stay long, only until the dancing started…"

"Plans change."

"Really…" Gineara drew the word out, looking triumphant. "Did these plans involve dancing? With a girl, perhaps?"

D'rean snorted, "What else would he dance with? A wher?"

N'kar glanced at the riders surrounding him, not liking where this was going. "Why are you asking, Gineara?"

"Just curious."

"Uh-huh." He still didn't like her grin, "There was some dancing with a girl. And no, she wasn't a family member. She was someone I met at the wine stand. As far as I know, that isn't against the charter."

"You met someone?" A new voice asked. N'kar recognized it immediately: Malena, R'nahl's on and off again weyrmate. She settled across from them, next to Gineara, and flashed a sweet smile at N'kar. "What's she like?"

"I don't really know. I only danced a couple of rounds with her…"

"But Rehmyth says that…" Gineara started and was abruptly cut off as N'kar kicked her shin.

"Rehmyth should learn to shut up."

Malena's smile grew even sweeter, "You should tell your own dragon to shut up, N'kar: Elanth checked in with Kaeleth when you arrived. You remember the rules don't you?"

"Of course I do." He lied. Since it was getting closer to the end of the pass, F'lar, Benden's weyrleader, expected the falls to shift unpredictably again and had asked that all dragonriders let the Queen dragons know where they were going and when they returned just in case. Having Elanth check in had become second nature, so he had forgotten that the Brown had let Malena's gold know as soon as they had returned from the gather.

Malena continued to smile at him, "So tell us about this girl."

"What about her?" N'kar growled, digging into his porridge. "She ran into me, and I helped her back to her table. We ended up bumping into each other again little later and we danced a couple of times. That's all that happened."

"Was she pretty?" R'nahl spoke up, earning a nasty look from Malena.

N'kar rubbed at the slight stubble on his chin. Once she had finally started smiling a bit she was, but he still didn't understand why she had left so quickly.

R'nahl laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, "I'll take that as a yes."

"Did you get her name?" Malena prompted, choosing to ignore the bronzerider for the moment.

"No." N'kar lied again. He wasn't much for keeping secrets, but he didn't feel like sharing anymore information then he absolutely had to right now. Especially after Kai had run off on him like that.

"Why ever not? You didn't just…"

"Malena!" R'nahl threw the queenrider a sharp look, sensing where her thoughts were heading. Then smiled slyly at N'kar to try to lighten the situation, "I'm sure our brownrider here wouldn't do that... at least without knowing the girls name first."

"Well obviously he did once. Where else do you think that woman, Llydwen, came from?"

"Stow it, Malena." N'kar growled, gathering his plates back onto his platter and standing. "You shouldn't talk about things that happened long before you came here."

With that he stepped over the bench and dropped his plates off at the kitchen before hurrying out of the Lower Caverns. He heard R'nahl calling out his name and walked faster. Unfortunately, the bronzerider caught up with him despite his fast pace. "I'm sorry about that." He said, apologizing for his weyrmate. "She never has learned to watch her tongue."

"I doubt she ever will," N'kar sighed. "Is Kaeleth getting close to her time? I haven't seen Malena like that since before her last flight."

"No. It's… It's just that time of the year again." Seeing his friend's confused look, R'nahl sighed, "It's getting close to the anniversary of the death of some girl she knew. Haven't you heard the story?"

"No, I was down at Southern at the time. Weren't they searched about seven or eight turns ago?"

"They weren't searched: they were rescued. Gineara and Malena were out with some friend on a threadfall day, they had to run for cover and somehow D'rean managed to find them before the leading edge did. They had a friend with them who got separated from them while they were trying to outrun the leading edge. We searched for her after the fall ended but she was never found."

"And today's the anniversary of that day? Who'd want to keep track of something like that?"

"Well you always manage to get roaring drunk on the day Llydwen left you every year." R'nahl replied with a sly grin, effortlessly ducking the punch N'kar threw at him. "I'm not sure about the whole story because Malena rarely talks about it, but I wonder if sometimes she's still upset that the friend didn't make it."

"Ah." It had happened in the weyr before - riders feeling guilty when they survived another fall unscathed, while others didn't make it.

"But enough of that. So tell me more about this girl. Was she tall, lithe, curvy, what?"

"She was a runner…"

"So horribly skinny then with thick legs? Why a runner? You're a dragonrider. You could've had any woman there by just flashing that smile of yours."

"Her legs weren't that thick…"

"So you _did_ get a chance to…"

"No, all we did was dance and talk, nothing else happened. She ran off before anything could."

R'nahl sighed, "You have the worst of luck when it comes to women my friend."

N'kar snorted. "Tell me about it."

"Did you get her name at least?"

"Yes. Her name was Kai."

"That sounds familiar." R'nahl frowned as he tried to remember something, then shook his head. "Never mind. I think you should try to find her again, it's been awhile since I've seen you interested in anything besides Elanth."

"There was a holder there who was very protective of her."

"It's a gather! There's always holders at gathers... oh..." R'nahl's voice died off as he realized what N'kar was hinting at. "Of all the sharding luck... well, maybe it was just a mate of hers? Or a brother?"

N'kar snorted and finally slowed his pace, calling out for Elanth. The brown grumbled, he was already comfortable on his ledge and was not overjoyed at the prospect of leaving it. Even if it was to give his rider a lift. "I don't know why I care. It was only a gather. Pern is large, we'll probably never see each other again."


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - not a major rewrite, but just some tweaking here and there - so I definitely recommend rereading everything. Plus, I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her approval._

_~AS_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

When Kayta slept, she dreamed of running. Nothing could top being out on the traces. Out there she was truly free: it was only her, the sky, and the ground for dragonlengths. There was thread behind her though, and no matter how fast she ran it kept getting closer. She put on a sudden burst of speed - if she could just last a little longer there would be safety. There would be protection from the hungry rain that fell.

Suddenly the ground gave out beneath her and she tumbled down. She hit rocks, crying out as she felt her leg break. Curling into a ball she gasped in pain and let the darkness take her.

Her throbbing leg woke her and Kayta fumbled under the sheets, feeling for the splints she could swear where there. Instead her fingers met bare skin and she ran her hand up her shin, tracing her fingers over the puckered scar a handspan below her knee. No, her leg had healed long ago: the bones were just aching from the sudden change in climate. They always did whenever she came back from visiting the mainland.

She sat up, studying the room in the early morning sun. By the egg, she missed her old life sometimes. Things had been so much simpler then that part of her wished she could have stayed a runner forever. Life had a way of throwing forks in the road though, and she had done her best at adapting and moving on. Like that day, seven turns ago, when N'bel, the then weyrleader, had brought her to this island.

Disturbed that she was having such serious thoughts in the morning, Kayta groaned and pulled her sleeping furs up over her head. Beyond her room she could hear a chuffing noise that she had learned was her dragon's attempt at a laugh.

Lysith. Sweet, golden, beautiful Lysith. The one thing in her life that made everything else worth it.

The queen crooned in response to her rider's loving thoughts and moved so that her eye could look through the doorway into her riders living quarters.

_It is time to get up. Derana is bringing Klah_, Lysith informed her rider. _She also has the updated storage records for you to go over. After you are done with that, may we go swimming again? I think there is still some paint on my tail._  
_  
Of course, dear one!_ It seemed like no matter how hard Kayta scrubbed her after a visit to the mainland, she always forgot a spot. Truthfully, she was a bit surprised that she hadn't missed more: they had left the gather later than the others and Kayta had not had much moonlight to see by when bathing Lysith.

Last night had been a very close call. First there had been a brown dragon that would not stop staring at N'nyal's green or Lysith. Then Kayta had bumped into that Benden dragonrider who wouldn't leave her alone no matter how hard she played the frightened act. After that M'rocav had demanded that they leave earlier than they had planned; in all their trips to the mainland they had never run into another rider before, and he had been worried that they might be able to sense that they were also dragonriders. Part of Kayta knew that she should have listened to him, and that it was too dangerous to stay longer, but another part of her had felt that he was overreacting. She, also, had not appreciated how he had tried to order her around when they had agreed that she would lead this expedition to the mainland since she had been raised there.

So she had stormed off. It was an immature move for a Weyrwoman to pull, but Kayta refused to let M'rocav think that he could boss her around when she outranked him. It had been nice to be alone at first, but eventually her curiosity made her wonder if the mainlander riders could sense that she was a fellow dragonrider. She had sought the brownrider out again, and was able to quickly establish that, no, the mainlander riders were oblivious.

Oblivious, inept, and far too talkative for her own tastes.

_He wasn't that bad_, Lysith defended the brownrider, _you enjoyed dancing with him and he was much nicer than some of the riders here._

Kayta hated to admit it, but her dragon was right. He had been a decent dance partner, and he wasn't a complete deadglow like some other riders she knew. In fact, it had been rather nice to talk to someone who wasn't a part of her Weyr, even if he did ask too many questions.

Despite everything though, M'rocav claimed that he may have found a few more holders who were interested in leaving the mainland behind earlier in the evening. Kayta doubted he had told them the whole truth though. Knowing the bronzerider he had probably painted it to be much better than it actually was much like N'bel had made the island out to be a utopia to her when she first arrived.

She sighed; unfortunately holders didn't have much say here on the islands. Originally they might have once upon a time, but at some point things had changed. Now the dragonriders expected the holders to do all the work, and they delighted in terrorizing them during their free time. Anyone who tried to stand up for the holders usually ended up dead regardless of if they were a holder, crafter, or weyrfolk. She, herself, had tried to stand up many a time but had only lasted this long because Lysith was the only queen the Weyr had for now.

Someone cleared their throat, making Kayta jump. The queenrider looked up to find Derana, the headwoman, watching her. "Food's here. There's fresh fruit, and porridge if you wish."

"And klah?" Kayta slid out of bed and followed the old woman into the scroll room that had been built on next to Lysith's weyr.

"We're running low again, so only the dregs." Derana sniffed.

"Well, dregs are better than nothing." The mixture in the pot was bitter and watered down. Kayta scooped a generous amount of sweeting into it, but it barely covered the taste. "Wasn't there supposed to be another shipment due?"

"It was due two weeks ago. The captain sent a firelizard to Z'char to warn him that he thought master had caught out and that the shipment would be delayed until the cost was clear. I thought he told you."

Kayta snorted. Derana knew damn well Z'char, the current weyrleader, never told her anything. She picked up a redfruit and bit into it, "What else are we running low on?"

"The records are over there. Read them yourself." With that the old woman left the room muttering as she walked away. Kayta took another bite of her redfruit and sighed, pulling the record skins closer to her so she could read them while she ate.

She flipped through the first couple of pages, then put the fruit down when she started to notice an oddity in the records. The Weyr had three Island holds to support them, plus there were several holds on the Northern Continent that sent supplies to the Weyr. It had been explained to her by N'bel that this was usually because they had had sons or daughters who had either come to the islands and become holders or dragonriders, or that the supplies were sent in trade. Ever since Z'char's Calaranth had flown Lysith and Z'char had taken over as Weyrleader, Kayta had noticed a steady decrease in the shipments. She saw now that over the past three months though they had gotten practically nothing from the North at all.

How in the egg was the Weyr surviving then? The Island's holds were not large enough to support 200 odd dragons, their riders and assorted weyrfolk, and Kayta had not seen nor noticed a decrease in their foodstuffs or supplies. What was going on?

****

"Well they're not raiding the mainland. I'm sure we would have been discovered by now if someone had been." N'bel had been drilling some of the lower cavern's children when Kayta found him a few candlemarks later. "Why do you ask?"

Kayta sighed. "We haven't received a shipment from the North in nearly 3 months."

The bronzerider glanced back at her sharply, "Why wasn't this mentioned at the council sooner?"

"I only just found out about it. Otherwise I would have told you and the other bronzeriders."

"You only just found out now? I thought I trained you..."

"I am doing exactly what you trained me to do." The Queenrider snapped. "I handle the stores and the lower caverns things like every Weyrwoman does; it's the Weyrleader's job to stay on top of the shipments and keep me informed."

"Which Z'char hasn't been doing."

Kayta snorted. "Obviously. I had to find out about the delay from Derana of all people."

"Have you spoken to him about it?"

"No, he was still asleep." She'd passed by the bronzerider's weyr on the way to find N'bel, and could hear him snoring from half a dragonlength away.

N'bel sighed and would have made a remark but noticed the children watching them. He quickly called off the rest of the drill and sent them to wash up, only continuing once the group was well out of earshot, "How that man is a Weyrleader amazes me."

"Well, unfortunately there's not much that we can do about it until Lysith flies again."

"And who knows when that will be again." While Queens on the mainland seemed to have fairly steady flights that were predictable things were a bit different on the Island. Here they didn't need as many dragons to fight thread because they had less ground to cover. As a result the queens didn't fly as often, maybe once every 5 turns if they were lucky, and the flights were kept short so the clutches would be smaller. Lysith seemed to be an exception to the rule, having flown two times since hatching.

"Lysith has flown twice since she hatched seven turns ago - She'll probably be due in another month or so." Kayta sighed. N'bel's original plan had been for M'rocav to succeed him as Weyrleader, and he had practically thrown the younger bronzerider at Kayta as soon as the girl had impressed. He had hoped that if they had a relationship before Lysith flew, then maybe Lysith would be more inclined to let M'rocav's Lementh to catch her. No one had expected Calaranth to be so sneaky though.

"All the more reason for you to stay close to home then." The weyrlingmaster studied Kayta intently as if he knew that she had been visiting the mainland. The Weyrwoman quirked an eyebrow and met him stare for stare. He found himself sighing again, "I saw you limping this morning; you all went to another gather again didn't you?"

"You used to a few yourself when you were the weyrleader."

"Aye, but I had to make deals and keep tabs on our suppliers."

"And you think I don't?"

"That should be the Weyrleader's job."

"Which, as we've already established, he is not doing. Besides, M'rocav and I went so we could spend time together." She lied. Even though she still cared for M'rocav, and he supported her - it wasn't like that. Not anymore. He hadn't shared her bed since Lementh had lost the last flight nearly two turns ago, and she knew that he had moved on to other women since then. Kayta only wished that she could find another mate, but it was hard when Z'char made it very clear to every rider that no matter how much he couldn't stand Kayta, he was not about to share her with another, and the men from the lower caverns where too intimidated by the dragonriders to even so much as look at her.

_I am here!_ Lysith cried out, distressed by her riders thoughts. _You do not need men when you have me!_

_I know love!_ Kayta smiled to herself. Even at 7 turns old the queen dragon was still a bit naive when it came to human needs.

"Are you allright girl?" N'bel was looking at her closely again.

"I'm fine." The queenrider lied again, not willing to admit how lonely she was and burden the ex weyrleader further.

"Uh-huh," N'bel thankfully didn't call her on it. "Promise me you won't go again."

"You know I can't make that promise. Someone has to keep in touch with the mainland."

"Let it be someone else though! Kayta, what if we were found out?" He grabbed her arm, pulling her around to face him. He gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Even worse, what if we lost you or Lysith? She's our only queen."

"How about a compromise? I promise I won't go unless on I'm on Weyr business."

"Kayta..."

"You can't because you're too busy with teaching the children since we don't have a harper. M'rocav isn't familiar with the mainland. Z'char won't even bother, and neither will the others. I promise, no more gathers, no more trips unless it's on the behalf of the Weyr."

"Fine."

"Good. It's not like you have much of a choice, though, I do outrank you."

N'bel laughed at that and started walking towards the lower caverns dragging Kayta along with him.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - not a major rewrite, but just some tweaking here and there - so I definitely recommend rereading everything. Plus, I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her approval._

_~AS_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

_There are people shouting by the storerooms_, Lysith spoke, waking her rider.

Kayta jumped and sat up, looking around in confusion before she recognized where she was. She had fallen asleep in the Records room again… for the third night in a row. _The storerooms couldn't have flooded again - the tides haven't been high enough for that to happen._

_No, no flooding, but lots of shouting._ Lysith had moved so she could look in one of the windows with her eye. It was swirling red in agitation. _Calaranth says there are men trying to steal from us._

_Men? Stealing?_  
_  
They have caught them. They are bringing them to the meeting room. _Lysith continued.

The shouting was getting louder. Kayta groaned and stood, walking over to doorway that opened onto the weyrbowl. Both moons were out allowing her to see several of the bronze and brown riders walking a trio of men towards in her direction. The men were being very loud about how their treatment was unfair, how they had a right to food too, but quickly shut up as soon as Lysith turned her head to study them. Kayta allowed herself a small smile; even though Lysith was the smallest queen she knew of she still made a fairly impressive sight in the moonlight.

The meeting room was only a short distance from the records room. Unlike most of the other buildings in the Weyr, it had actually been carved into the cliff side, and wasn't made out of wood or stone. She followed the crowd of onlookers over and was able to slip in behind some riders before anyone noticed. She found M'rocav and tugged on his sleeve to get his attention, "What's going on?"

The bronzerider jumped at her touch, "Holders were raiding the storerooms. We caught them and now Z'char will deal with them." He looked at her. "You should get out of here. The Weyrleader won't be happy when he notices you here."

Kayta snorted, she could see Z'char sitting in the Weyrleaders chair at the table that dominated the middle of the room. He glowered at the holders as he listed to his trusty wingseconds. "When is he ever happy to see me?"

She slipped past M'rocav before he could stop her and did a circuit around the outside of the room, studying the Weyrleader from behind the other riders crowded around the captives. She guessed that they had just dragged him out of bed by the state of his clothes and couldn't help but notice that he was skinnier than then the last time she had saw him nearly a month ago. Also, his hair, long and bleached blonde by the sun, looked like it needed to be washed.

She decided to take a chance and took her seat at the table. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Z'char scowl at her, but he didn't say anything and quickly turned back to the matter at hand.

"They came in from the one of the other islands by boat - we found it down on the beach near the rocks that mark the end of the Weyrbowl. I don't know how they made it through the reefs in it." One of the wingseconds hissed.

"Sheer sharding luck. It was a cat boat. Barely even big enough to carry them… let alone the supplies they were trying to steal." A brownrider offered. "Stupid holders."

"What were they trying to take?" Kayta finally spoke up.

Z'char gave her a black look. "This is not your problem."

"It involves the storerooms, which are my problem." She raised an eyebrow at him, refusing to back down. He finally looked away and Kayta turned to the brownrider again. "What were they trying to take?"

"Mostly grains; rice, wheat..."

"Things that are rightfully ours!" One of the captives yelled, interrupting. "We tithe fairly, as we're supposed to, and yet you just keep taking more!"

"Oh you tithe alright," Z'char snorted. "You tithe by giving us the worst you have!"

"It's all we have! At least you dragonriders can fly elsewhere and get supplies, instead you continue to harass us and take more than your fair share! Are we to be left with nothing?"

"After this? Yes! We cannot afford to keep around a hold that cannot support itself!"

The captive's eyes blazed with anger, "Then why do we have a Weyr that never does anything?"

The room exploded into shouting and Kayta could hear dragons roaring outside. She tried to demand silence but couldn't be heard above the noise, and Z'char was too caught up in his own yelling match with the captives to care. She caught M'rocav's eye and sent him a pleading look.

"SILENCE!!" He bellowed, then jerked his head towards her everyone turned to stare at him. "The Weyrwoman was trying to speak."

"Thank you, M'rocav," Kayta sighed in relief. She looked at the holder standing across from her, "Now as far as I know the Weyr has always been fair to your hold. I have records showing that we only take what is owed to us under the tithing agreement. Nothing more, nothing less."

"That's not true. We've had three different groups of riders turn up at hold this month to demand more, and if we..."

"Liars!" Z'char stood, almost knocking over his chair.

"Z'char, really." Kayta pulled herself up to her full height in her chair and glared at the Weyrleader until he sat back down. She glanced back over at the holder and gave him a little nod, "Please continue."

"Well," The holder licked his lips. "We have been giving the Weyr their fair share, but riders keep coming back and asking for more. If we try to turn them away we're threatened or our girls are taken from us."

Kayta went cold. So that explained where the extra food was coming from! "The Weyr has been stealing extra supplies from the holds then."

The holder nodded. "We aren't the only ones. We're just the ones who decided to do something about it."

"I'm sure you're familiar with the saying that 'two wrongs hardly make a right'?"

"We weren't thinking, Weyrwoman." Another thinner and older holder spoke up. "Well we did, but we weren't thinking right. It's not like we could go to the other holds for help. East Hold barely has anything left either, and North Hold is too far away."

"Our people are starving." A third piped up.

"Our people are starving," Z'char mimicked the holder, making his voice sound whiny and pathetic. "That doesn't change things. You have been caught stealing from the Weyr and will be dealt with accordingly."

The bronzerider gave a flick of his hand and the men were dragged out of the room. The rest of the riders filtered out after them too, heading for the lower caverns and to spread the news about the Weyr. Soon it was only M'rocav and the two Weyrleaders.

Kayta looked at Z'char, "I'm assuming you'll just exile them then."

The bronzerider gave a short laugh, "No, if I exile them to another Island I would have to give them supplies, and they aren't worth it. I was thinking about just dropping them _between_. M'rocav why don't you go find out what hold they were from. Perhaps we should make an example."

"M'rocav, don't." Kayta held up a hand as if to stop him and narrowed her eyes at Z'char. "What do you mean an example?"

"Well, some grain was spilled during the scuffle and I'm sure we'll find more ruined foodstuffs once morning comes." Z'char's voice was calm and controlled now. "It's only fair that their hold replaces what they damaged."

The Queenrider was disgusted. "You heard what they said about there not being enough supplies..."

"It is our right as dragonriders to take what we want for protecting these fools." Z'char's voice was calm and controlled now.

"...If you take anymore they will starve to death!"

"I fail to see how that is a bad thing. If there is less of them, there will be more for us." He stood to leave the room and Kayta got up to follow him.

"And what will happen when there are no more holders left? Who will tend the fields then? You're insane if you think your riders will do it!"

Z'char whirled and grabbed her arms, shoving her up hard against the rock wall. "You go too far Weyrwoman."

"I go too far?" Kayta gasped in pain. "This Weyr is just as dependent on the holders for our food as the holders are dependent on us for their safety. If you continue with this madness..."

"You have no right to question me when you're no better than one of them." He squeezed her arms tighter until her eyes began to water. "A worthless piece of holder trash! N'bel should have left you to die that day..."

"N'bel is twice the Weyrleader that you'll ever be." She spat. Z'char snarled and shook her violently, making her head collide with the wall behind her with a sickening thud.

Outside Lysith bellowed in outrage and suddenly a little blue blur appeared and went straight for the bronzerider's face.

Z'char released his grip on Kayta so he could take a swipe at the firelizard who dove and clawed at the bronzerider's head. Kayta sank to the ground and crawled a few feet away. Z'char pulled out his belt knife, but the blue managed to go between just before he was hit and reappeared above where Kayta crouched, chittering angrily, his eyes flashing a vibrant orange. Before Z'char could make another grab at him though, M'rocav grabbed his arm from behind and swung him around so that the bronzerider stood between the Weyrleader and Kayta. "That's enough!"

"You forget your place Wingleader!"

"I've forgotten my place? You just attacked the Weyrwoman!" The two men glared at each other.

"Fine, defend the whore instead of your own brother." Z'char held up his hands in defeat and left the room.

M'rocav waited until he was sure the other rider was gone before kneeling next to Kayta. He brushed a piece of hair out of her face, "Are you okay?"

Kayta nodded, frowning when it only made the room spin. She let the bronzerider pull her to her feet and leaned heavily against him for a moment. "I've been better." The blue firelizard settled on her shoulder, and crooned, rubbing his head along her chin. She patted him limply, "I never thought I'd be so happy to see you, you wretch."

"Dolp always did have perfect timing." M'rocav's laugh was mirthless as he guided Kayta back to her seat. "Here, let me send him after Derana..."

"Send him for Berjoui instead, please. She's gentler." Kayta could hear Lysith bellowing outside the meeting room and scratching at the rock in an attempt to get to her rider. _Please stop that, you'll hurt yourself!_

_How dare he touch you! He hurt you!_

_He's gone! I'm fine!_ She watched silently as the bronzerider sent the firelizard off on his errand.

_I'll tear him apart!_

_Lysith!!!_ Kayta was shocked by the queen's vehemence. _No! He's gone! He won't trouble me again!_

_But he hurt you!_

_I'm fine._ A sudden wave of nausea hit her and the queenrider bowed her head, resting it on the table, _I'll be fine. Berjoui is on her way._

_She is here._ Kayta lifted her head a little and watched as N'bel led a slight woman into the room. Berjoui dropped her bag on the table as she rushed to Kayta's side.

"That was quick," M'rocav nodded a greeting to the weyrlingmaster.

"Lysith bespoke Harnarth and asked us to come. What happened?"

"Holders were found stealing from the storerooms. I figured you would have known since the noise was loud enough that it woke up the whole Weyr."

"We were... indisposed."N'bel looked at Berjoui. The woman blushed and bent her head as she intently studied the lump forming on the back of Kayta's head. "Is that how she got hurt? Did one of them..."

"No, Z'char did." Kayta finally spoke as the healer tilted her head up to study her eyes, it was hard to focus on the other woman's face and she had to blink several times. Berjoui's expression was concerned and she made a tsking noise before turning back to her bag.

"I'd heard that he was getting violent," Berjoui offered tentatively as she pulled out a jar. "One of the boys was sent to take him food the other day and came back with a black eye for spilling his wine."

Kayta was shocked. "And no one said anything?"

"Why? What good would it do? He's the Weyrleader." Berjoui shrugged, and dabbed a cloth in the jar before using it to wipe down the back of Kayta's head. A pleasant numbness spread over the area and the Weyrwoman smiled at the healer thankfully. "Did he get you anywhere else?"

"Her arms."M'rocav ran a hand through his hair. "He grabbed her, and shook her pretty roughly before I could jump in."

N'bel frowned at Kayta, "Why did he attack you?"

"She stood up for the holders." The other bronzerider explained.

"Are you mad? They broke our rules and need to be punished." N'bel exploded.

The queenrider flinched; she had never seen him this angry before. "He was going to drop them _between_! How is that a fair punishment for men who were only hungry?"

"It's not," He agreed, "but better that it's them than us."

Kayta rolled up her sleeves and gasped as Berjoui prodded one of her swollen biceps tentatively. The healer nodded to herself, and slathered them with numbweed as well. "They'll be purple for awhile, but at least he didn't do any lasting damage. No heavy lifting, okay?"

"When do I do any heavy lifting?"

"I've seen some of those hides you've been studying," The woman snorted. "That's the other thing: you have a concussion. You'll need to take it easy for a few days and let yourself recover. No late nights in the records room, okay?"

N'bel gave Kayta such a quizzical look that she felt the need to explain, "I was trying to figure out where the extra supplies were coming from."

"And?"

"Z'char was taking more from the holders, on top of what they normally tithe..."

"...Which is why they came here and tried to steal some of our food." He finished for her as he put two and two together.

"Yes." Kayta buried her head in her hands, as the room started to spin again. "That stops tomorrow. We only take what we need from the holders. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't know what to do about those men though. We can't let Z'char take them _between_."

"If we go against Z'char there will be trouble. More than just what happened tonight." M'rocav kept glancing towards the corridor that the Weyrleader had disappeared down as if he expected him to show up again.

"If we let him do that though, the holders will give us trouble."

"But you're dragonriders." Berjoui interrupted. "What holder in his right mind would go up against a rider and his dragon?"

"Well, they're obviously at their breaking point if they tried to pull this." N'bel sighed. "Who knows what else they might do? If they managed to get through the reefs this time, they could do it again and attack us."

"Surely the dragons will protect us."

"Dragons have to sleep sometime, just like humans do."

Kayta grabbed the healer's hand and squeezed it. "We'll post watchriders around the Weyr. Z'char hasn't bother with that since he's become Weyrleader. I can draw up a plan for it tomorrow."

"You'll do no such thing. You will follow Berjoui's orders and rest." M'rocav frowned.

She gave him a dark look. She was grateful for his help, but she still didn't appreciate him trying to boss her around. Did he think she was incapable of being a Weyrwoman? "And who, might I ask, will run the Weyr while both Weyrleader's are incapacitated?"

"I and the other Wingleaders will." The bronzerider glanced at N'bel. "That is how the chain of command runs, isn't it?"

The weyrlingmaster nodded, "Normally the oldest bronzerider would. So I will pass on Kayta's decision regarding the stores being returned to the holds, and the starting of the watch again. In the mean time why don't you help Berjoui see to Lysith, while I escort our dear Weyrwoman back to her rooms."

"I am not so injured that I can't take care of my own dragon."

"Kayta." N'bel barked. She had seen that frustrated look on his face many a time as a young Queenrider and bowed her head. Unfortunately the movement started the throbbing in her head again, and she closed her eyes in pain. "Look at yourself girl, I doubt you could stand up straight right now, much less slather a full grown queen dragon's head in numbweed and redwort."

_You are unwell. You must listen to them and rest. They will take good care of me_. Lysith crooned

Kayta sighed at that,"Fine."

"Good. Nice to see that fool of a Weyrleader didn't completely addle your brains."

Berjoui pulled several powders out of her bag and mixed them together in a jar and handed it to N'bel. "Add this to some water and make her drink it; it'll help with her headache."

"Allright," The older rider nodded, tucked it into his belt pouch and hurried her and M'rocav out of the room. He playfully patted the healer on her rump before turning around to face Kayta.

The weyrwoman narrowed her eyes at him and frowned. "I didn't need to see that."

"See what?"

"She's a turn younger than I am!"

"And has twice the sense that you do. At least she knows to keep her head down and her mouth shut, and doesn't go looking for trouble." He sighed and helped her out of her chair, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her as they walked outside into the weyrbowl. The white beach stretched out before them in the moonlight, and Kayta could see Berjoui treating the scratches on Lysith's head a short distance away.

"If she's the better woman, then why didn't you have her try to impress the queen egg all those turns ago?" She kept her voice low so that the other woman wouldn't hear them.

"Harnarth didn't choose her on search, he choose you."

"What search? You found me in a ditch with a broken leg, remember?"

"Aye, I haven't forgotten that." The bronzerider sighed in frustration at their slow pace and finally scooped Kayta up into his arms, cradling her against his chest. "You still weigh about what you did back then. Haven't you been eating?"

"Don't change the subject." The movement of him walking made her nauseous. She closed her eyes, willing herself not to get sick.

"Berjoui is a nice girl, but she doesn't have the strength you do, and in order to fix what is wrong with this Weyr we needed a strong Weyrwoman… or have you forgotten us discussing that?" They finally reached her weyr, and he walked through the small sitting room at the front into the sleeping chamber beyond. He settled her on the edge of the bed, and helped her pull her sandals off before starting to unlace her vest.

Kayta swatted his hands away. "I'm not a complete invalid, y'know... and no, I haven't forgotten."

"Then why bring old arguments back up again?" N'bel sat on the bed next to her, and the queenrider leaned against him for a moment, resting her head on his shoulder. "You may the most stubborn woman I've ever met, and Faranth knows you've given me more than my fair share of headaches when _I_ was Weyrleader, but I chose you to stand on the sands because I knew that you would be the best chance we had at making it out of the pass. I still believe that, girl, even if you refuse to listen to any advice M'rocav and I have to give you." He pulled out the jar Berjoui had given him earlier and held it in front of Kayta's face. "Now are you going to drink this stuff willingly, or will I have to force you?"

Kayta snorted and then winced. She waved a hand in the direction of the bathing room. "There should be a jar of drinking water on one of the shelves."

N'bel nodded and stood, leaving Kayta to undress as he mixed the powder. Kayta stripped down to her long shirt, and climbed underneath the sleeping furs. The room continued to spin though, so she draped one her legs over the edge of the bed, placing her foot firmly on the floor – an old trick she had learned from M'rocav when he had over indulged one night. Unfortunately it didn't work, but N'bel returned with the mixture, and helped her sit up while she drank it.

Almost immediately a pleasant numbing sensation spread through her body. "What are we going to do about the holders?"

"M'rocav and I will figure something out."

"But…" It was becoming harder and harder to keep her eyes open.

"Shush now, and rest like Berjoui told you to." N'bel patted Kayta's hand, and then shuttered the glows as he left the queenrider to her dreams.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - not a major rewrite, but just some tweaking here and there - so I definitely recommend rereading everything. Plus, I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her approval._

_~AS_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

The sun was at its zenith when the wings of Benden appeared over the mountains of Eastern Bitra. N'kar was struck by how calm the scene was: The sky was a bright clear blue, completely cloudless, with a slight breeze. If one didn't know better, no one would suspect that in just a few minutes thread would rain down on them once more. No doubt there would be several deadglows who would be fooled by the serene weather and get caught outside of their holds and halls today.

As his thoughts wandered, he couldn't help but wonder where Kai was. He had taken R'nahl's advice and had decided to look for her, and had inquired at several runner stations around Benden Weyr. None of the station master's knew of a girl matching her description though. He had spoken with one old runner, who Elanth had spotted when they were riding watch one morning, who said he remembered a girl with dark hair like Kai's, but he claimed that the girl had died several turns ago. He had laughingly suggested that maybe the brownrider's runner was a ghost, before taking off down the trace again.

However Kai couldn't be a ghost. Ghost's weren't solid, you couldn't hold their waist in your hands, and she most certainly wasn't a figment of his imagination since his sisters had seen her too.

_Xanth says R'nahl says to pull your head out of the clouds,_ Elanth interrupted his thoughts.

The brownrider shook his head, _Tell him that I was not daydreaming..._

_But you were... you were thinking of her again._

_Allright, I was, but I'm not going to admit that to him._ He sighed and stroked Elanth's neck, waiting for R'nahl to give the signal to start flaming. His wingleader raised his arm just as the gray smudge appeared on the horizon dropping it only seconds after the Weyrleader did. Elanth turned his head around for N'kar to feed him more firestone, and then the whole Weyr surged forward as one to meet the mindless invasion.

Elanth immediately rose to sear a clump of thread from the sky, then tucked his wings to his side and let himself drop a few feet in order to avoid a strand that Addeth rushed in and charred. N'kar ducked low on Elanth's neck to avoid the still burning ash and then they were moving on to the next clump. The rest of the fall quickly became a blur; they would dive or soar to scorch thread from the sky, occasionally blinking _between_ to avoid other clumps, or dropping below the action to grab a new bag of firestone from a waiting weyrling.

A fresh flight of dragons from Telger Weyr surged forward to take over the fall when they crossed over the river seperating Lemos from Telgar hold. N'kar let Elanth drift back, relieved that the fall had been lighter than normal and that they shared it with Telgar. Now they could go back to the Weyr and he could give Elanth the bath he needed and spend the rest of the evening relaxing.

_R'nahl asks Xanth to tell the wing that F'lar wants us to do a sweep over Bitra._

N'kar groaned to himself, but raised his arm to signal that he had gotten the message. He then gave Elanth the coordinates and asked the brown to take them _between_.

___________________________

Lysith was not happy about being covered with dirt.

Kayta couldn't really blame her though as she imagined having handfuls of cold mud slapped all over her hide was not very pleasant. However, they had been in a rush when they left the Weyr and Kayta did not have time to paint the dragon green like she normally did, and while her arms weren't as weak as Berjoui had said they would be, she didn't think she could manage carrying around a bucket full of paint. At least this way it would be easier to clean her up when they returned to the Weyr rather than spending hours trying to scrub Lysith's golden hide clean. Also, the muddy camouflage helped the queen dragon blend in to the trees more, making it harder for any watch riders to see. Stepping back to survey her work, Kayta threw another couple of branches on top of the pile already covered the golden hide then sat on the ground heavily when a dizzy spell took her, making the trees around her spin and dance.

_You are not well._

Sensing her dragons concern, Kayta sent her reassuring thoughts. _I am fine_.

_No, you are not. The healer said that he had hurt your head, that you should be sleeping._

_I can't rest. Not until I know what happened._ The Weyrwoman had awoken this morning to find that the Weyr was in an uproar. Somehow during the night, the holders that Z'char had condemned to death had disappeared. Kayta had been impressed; N'bel had promised that he and M'rocav would take care of the holders, but she had not expected them to act so quickly! However, when she had finally gotten the older bronzerider alone and attempted to congratulate him on the daring rescue, he had admitted to her that he hadn't done anything, and was just as baffled as everyone else regarding what had happened.

N'nyal later told her, while gushing over how proud he was of M'taren, that the brownrider had been the one to sneak the holders out. He had approached the guards and told them that Z'char had sent him to take the holders between, then took them back to their hold to pack up a few things before stranding them and their families here in the middle of the Bitran wilderness. Kayta had been shocked. For the most part she did trust M'taren, but at times he supported Z'char more than she was comfortable with, and she had decided to come and check to see if the brownrider had told his weyrmate the truth.

Besides it couldn't hurt to remind the holders that they could be found by the Weyr in case they had ideas of talking.

Kayta hated to think that way, to threaten holders, but N'bel had drilled into her over and over again as a weyrling how important it was that they not be discovered. She didn't even want to think about what might happen if the rest of Pern found out about their island. They wouldn't be able to take Lysith away from her, and the mainlanders thought it was a sin to kill a dragonrider, but what if they locked them away where they could never fly again?

Lysith snorted, dislodging a branch that had been placed over her nose. _I would like to see them try!_

Her rider laughed and replaced the bit of camouflage, before dusting off her hands. As she stood, she considered her riding jacket and helmet, lying in a pile under a nearby tree. The Queenrider considered pulling the jacket back on just for a moment but the day was already warm and it would be hot enough running in her wherhide pants. Her shoulder knots should be enough to remind them who she was.

_They will know you are Weyrwoman. How could they not know?_

_The brownrider did not know._

_This is different. These are your holders. They will know._

_Yes love._ Lysith could be so stubborn sometimes. Just like her, N'bel would say. Smiling to herself Kayta sent all the affectionate thoughts she could muster towards her dragon and took off in a ground eating lope. She had spotted the clearing the holders had been dropped off from dragon back and knew it wasn't too far to the North of where she had hidden Lysith. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes tops to reach it. After a couple of steps her head began to pound though and she quickly had to slow to a walk.

_You should be..._

_...Resting, I know, I know. _Kayta sighed to herself; this was going to take much longer than she expected if she couldn't push herself harder than a walk. Hopefully the Holders hadn't made it very far from the clearing. N'nyal had said that they had only been dropped off less than a candlemark ago, and they had small children traveling with them.

_What if we are spotted?_ The queen dragon asked suddenly.

_Spotted?_ Kayta found herself stopping again, partly in shock that Lysith would be worried about something like that, and partly to let the world stop spinning again. Maybe her dragon was right. Maybe she should be back at the Weyr resting. Plus, the others would be so upset when they found out she had gone. _You've never been worried about being spotted before._

_I was green before. Now I'm just a dirt covered lump._

_I didn't think you liked being painted green._

_I don't. It's better than having things crawling on me though._ Lysith complained making her rider giggle.

"Well, isn't that a pretty sound." A gruff voice stated surprising Kayta. She whirled and found the holders standing on a little rise just above her, watching her.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - not a major rewrite, but just some tweaking here and there - so I definitely recommend rereading everything. Plus, I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her approval._

_~AS_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

"Well, _that_ was lovely," N'kar couldn't help but comment while he slapped his gloves against his thigh. Thread dust exploded off them in a cloud, making the guards near the door step back.

R'nahl chuckled, "The flag was flying. It's protocol to stop and see what he wanted."

Right as the wing had been about to start their sweep over the area, the bronzerider had seen the signal flag on the fire heights above Bitra hold and had asked N'kar to stop with him to see what the Lord Holder wanted. Little had they known that all he wanted to do was demand Benden Weyr's help with shooing the holdless off his lands. Supposedly his steward had noticed a depletion in their stores, and Sigomal was of the opinion that the holdless were at fault. R'nahl, who's eyes had begun to glaze over during the tirade, had perked up a bit at that. When his wingsecond shot him an inquiring look, he held out his hand to stop the Brownrider's question. Not surprisingly, Sigomal did not pick up on the interaction. The man may be a Lord Holder, but he wasn't always the sharpest tool in the shed.

Personally N'kar thought the Holder was mad for blaming the holdless. F'lar himself had stated that the population of the holdless in the North had gone down since the Southern Continent had become available for settlement. Sure life down there was tougher at times, but, in N'kar's opinion, the weather and scenery in the South were far superior to being stuck in a crowded hold or the cold Bitran forest. And why would the holdless steal when they had marks or services they could trade for food or fabric? Just because they were holdless did not mean that they were broke. Granted, some holdless could be lazy, and unwilling to work, but then there was always a lazy man here or there regardless of if they were holder, crafter, or dragonman.

They had continued to listen to his whining politely, then excused themselves by saying they still had a sweep ride to do and had reminded him that the Weyrs did not get involved in hold matters before leaving.

"I say next time we temporarily forget protocol and let someone else deal with him."

"That would be a great idea... if F'lar wouldn't have our hides for it." R'nahl's gaze grew distant as he checked in with Xanth for updates on the rest of the wing. "D'rean is covering the the area to the South with a couple of riders, and J'lin has the hills to the West. Let's fly a couple of sweeps over the Northern part of the hold before calling it clean."

N'kar nodded and leaped onto Elanth's waiting forearm. He hauled himself up the brown's shoulder and settled into his seat on the dragons neck. He waited patiently for R'nahl to give the signal from Xanth, then, when the bronzerider's hand dropped, he asked Elanth to take them aloft and then _between_ to the mountains to the North of the hold.

He and R'nahl quickly decided to sweep over the non populated areas where there weren't any ground crews to eliminate the burrowing thread. They fell into a zig zag pattern, and after the first candlemark of not finding anything, N'kar let himself relax a little. His mind began to wander, and he wondered what they would have for dinner tonight; maybe there would be roast herdbeast. He doubted it, though, because even though the fall had been light, Manora probably had much better things for the lower caverns folk to do.

_But I will get to have herdbeast! And maybe a small wherry too, but definitely a..._ Elanth suddenly grew silent.

_What?_ N'kar leaned over so that he was closer to the dragon's neck, trying to see what had caught his attention.

The brown turned a slow circle back the way they had come. _I thought I saw something... like smoke. Why would there be smoke? Thread doesn't smoke._

_It's probably just a groundcrew that found a burrow_, N'kar frowned, _but I don't know of any holds in this area__. _

He let Elanth hover there for a moment or two, watching as the smoke rose steadily into the sky. It couldn't be traders, they weren't any trails nearby that would be big enough for the large wagons and draybeasts. It could be a group of Holdless - the ones that the Lord Holder had wanted them to chase off his lands - and if it was, he and R'nahl should stay out of the situation. F'lar would have their hides if they didn't. However, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked Elanth to pass on the word to his wingleader that he wanted to go down and check the situation out.

_Xanth says that R'nahl would like to come along as well._ Elanth relayed back as a bronze dragon came out of between to the left of them. N'kar waived his hand to get the wingleader's attention and pointed down at a suitable gap in the trees just to the east of where he had seen the smoke. The small clearing should be more than large enough for a bronze and a brown to land. R'nahl gave him a thumbs up and Xanth tucked his wings into his side, quickly dropping to the ground.

When Elanth finally landed he found the bronzerider waiting for him, "So who do you think it is?"

"Not a groundcrew, that's for sure. The nearest hold is a good two day's travel away."

"I thought as much."

"It could be a smaller train of traders. There's been a few that have popped up since Thella was killed."

"It could also be the Holdless Sigomal was complaining about." N'kar had a feeling that R'nahl had already reached that conclusion – much like he had as soon as he had spotted the spoke.

"Only one way to find out." R'nahl stripped off his helmet and smiled. "Either way I don't think the Weyrleader would be offended if we stopped to make sure everyone was okay, do you? Y'know, just in case a clump managed to escape our wings."

The brownrider laughed, "You know as well as I do that thread never escapes Benden wings."

"You know that, I know that, they don't know that. Besides it'll be a welcome break from the monotony of the past couple of candlemarks. Besides, what if it is a group of traders? Maybe they'll have some bauble you can get that will win over that phantom runner of yours."

_____________________________________

When the holders spotted the dragons overhead, they panicked. Not that Kayta could blame them, considering how the Island riders behaved. the afternoon had been trying enough already. First she had stumbled on to their camp, and when she had explained that she was just coming to check on them, a group of them had made it very clear how much they distrusted her and had tied her up. Lysith had almost lost it then after what Z'char had done to Kayta last night. It had taken all of the queenrider's strength to keep the dragon calm, and now the slight throbbing behind her eyes had turned into a steady thud. Calmer heads prevailed though, and soon she was untied and given water.

Kayta soon discovered that three whole families had been brought here by M'taren; the holders who had tried to steal from the Weyr, their wives and children, and an uncle who had given them access to the skip that they had used to get to the beach. The older holder and the uncle were more than happy to listen to her advice on how to act like a Mainlander, and she also suggested a number of holds where they might be able to find work.

Then the brown and the bronze dragons had gone overhead, followed a few minutes later by another brown and a blue. Now the older bunch was blaming the younger bunch for tying Kayta up, and seemed to think that she had called the dragons down on them for revenge, while the younger holders where yelling at the older ones for ever trusting her when she was a dragonrider and _his_ weyrmate.

She tried to yell at them, to point out that the dragons were just on watch and probably wouldn't even try to investigate, but everyone was too busy yelling at each other to even notice her. Part of her wanted to stay here, to prove to them that she wasn't like the others and to convince them that the Mainlander dragons meant no harm, but the other part of her was afraid. What if the dragonriders did land? What if one of the holders let it slip about the Islands? What if she was caught?

The uncle she had been speaking with earlier caught her eye, then stepped away from the rest of the pack. Kayta followed him until they were on the other side of the clearing, out of the others range of hearing. "These dragonriders, they're not yours are they?"

"No, they're mainlander dragons... and since we're on Bitra land they'll be from Benden Weyr."

"Really?" His eyes seemed to light up at that. Even on the Islands they had heard tales of Benden's Weyrleaders, Lessa and F'lar. "And they'll not hurt us?"

"No, if they even bother to check on you all, that is." She couldn't help but smile a little at his excitement. "Mainlander riders normally don't get involved in Holder affairs."

"And the less they know about you and the rest of your lot, the better, eh?"

"I know that we have done you all a great disservice, but your discretion would be greatly appreciated."

"I'll keep the others in line," He jerked his head to the trees, "Go on. Get out of here."

Kayta smiled in relief, "Thank you."

She heard a slight uproar from the holders as she slipped between some bushes and into the safety of the trees, but didn't turn back to see what the uncle did. He was a sturdy old fellow, who reminded her a bit of her own uncle, who was a holder for Benden. She was positive that the old man could hold his own against the younger men like her uncle had had to do so many times with his own sons.

Realizing she was well North of where Lysith was hiding, Kayta swung around to the East of the clearing, keeping within a few dragonlengths of it's edge where the brush and trees where still sparse enough to move through but thick enough to hide her presence. Within a few minutes she began to feel her head begin to pound again and slowed her pace back down to a slow walk. She consoled herself with the justification that walking was safer, what with so many rocks and large roots around, but made a mental promise to start running more again when her head had healed from Z'char's attentions.

She heard more voices coming from the clearing and swung in closer to it's edge as she came up on the south side of it. She climbed up the roots of a Skybroom tree so that she was standing at it's base, and leaned around the side of it so that she see what was going on in the clearing. To her surprise she could see the Uncle and one of the younger holders speaking with three dragonriders whose backs were to her. A bronze, a brown, and a blue rider, judging by their shoulder knots. Kayta was slightly disappointed to see that the brown rider was not N'kar, then frowned. Of course Benden had several brownriders, so the odds of him being a part of the sweep riders at any given time were small at best.

And, besides, the stupid brownrider had been such an annoyance the last time she ran into him! She was daft for wanting to see him again when he had been so close to finding them out.

The Uncle raised his eyebrows when he saw her, and Kayta quickly ducked out of the way just as the bronzerider started to turn around. She slid down from the base of the tree and ducked low so she wouldn't be seen through the bushes and other brush.

Shards and shells! Maybe N'bel was right, and she should stay away from the Mainland for a good long while. It seemed like every time she came anywhere near it lately, she bumped into another dragonman.

Once Kayta felt she was far enough away that she would not be seen, she stood up and hurried away from the clearing as she could. She pulled her shoulder knots off of her shirt and buried them in one of her pants pocket as she walked. It wouldn't do for a Journeyman Runner to be seen wearing a Weyrwoman's knots, and would not be something that could be explained away like her pants.

She then swung away from the clearing in a wide circle, hoping that she would be able to make it to Lysith without anyone tracking her. She turned around and walked backwards for a few steps just to make sure she wasn't being followed and when she turned back around so she could see where she was going, she ran smack dab into the very hard chest of a dragonrider.


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - not a major rewrite, but just some tweaking here and there - so I definitely recommend rereading everything. Plus, I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her approval._

_~AS_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

Falling backwards from the impact, Kayta landed hard on her backside. The jar was enough to set off the pounding in her head again and she sat there for a second, momentarily stunned.

"Runner Kai?" The voice was surprised but familiar and Kayta opened up her eyes to find N'kar standing over her. Oh, of all the sharding luck! "Are you all right?"

"Do you always end up asking people that when you see them?" She groaned; this day kept getting better and better.

The brownrider smiled and ducked his head to his chest for a minute to hide it. "Not usually, but then the only person who seems to run into me is you. This is …what? The second time now?"

Kayta knew he was just joking, but his comment irked her anyways. As a queenrider she would have glared at him and called him on his impudence, however Runner Kai was intimidated by dragonriders – even ones she had danced with. She would never think of yelling at someone who was above her rank either. "I'm sorry Brownrider. I swear I'll pay better attention in the future."

"I was only teasing, Kai." His smile seemed to falter a little at her apology, but he held out a hand to help her up. "Here, let me…"

Kayta ignored it and slowly pulled her feet beneath her to stand. "I'm sorry… I just… I never expected to find a dragonrider out here! Especially you! I mean, what in the world would a dragonrider doing all the way out here?"

"My wing and I were checking for burrows." Seeing her surprised look, he added, "Thread fell over Bitra 3 hours ago. Didn't you notice all the gray stuff falling from the sky?"

"I was... kind of... sleeping." Kayta lied. That explained why he was covered in ash and reeked of firestone. Shells! She knew she should've checked the charts before she left! She started walking aimlessly, leading the dragonman away from where she had hidden Lysith.

It was his turn to look at her in surprise. "You slept through threadfall?"

"I'm a heavy sleeper."

"Well, then, where were you sleeping? Don't most runners try to stop over at a station if they need a few hours of sleep?"

"Why would a dragonrider bother with Runner Stations?" Kayta frowned to herself, she had a feeling that he had probably been looking for her, and had learned that tid-bit about the Runners as a result. Hopefully he hadn't dug deep enough to realize that Runner Kai didn't exist.

"More than you would think." Seeing her curious look, he quickly continued. "It's best to know what holds, halls, or stations are in an area so we can be properly equipped to protect it..."

"Oh." She stepped over a tree root, and around the trunk of a tall redfruit tree only to find that he was still keeping up with her.

"… And as far as I know there aren't any stations, or holds in this area. So I'm just a bit curious, where were you sleeping?"

"Under a tree. Sure most runners prefer to sleep in a cot, but that doesn't mean we can't sleep out in the open."

"What about a wherry or a tunnelsnake?"

"Dolp would have woken me if there was any danger."

"Is that your firelizard?"

"Yes." The queenrider snapped. The pounding in her head was getting worse and it was becoming harder and harder to keep up the timid little girl act. "What's with the twenty questions? I haven't done anything against the charter."

"I never said that you did. I'm just surprised to see you here." He sighed and got that faraway look in his eyes that most dragonriders got when talking to their dragons. There was something peaceful and loving about it that caught Kayta off guard. Feeling a strange pang she looked at the ground while she felt for her own connection to Lysith to distract her from the man standing next to her. Sadly the queen still slept, oblivious to the position her rider was in. "My wingleader would like it if we would join him so he could ask you some questions. He's at a holdless camp not too far away from here."

Talking to a bronzerider was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Who knew what questions he might ask and she was afraid she might let something slip in her state. "I'd really rather not."

"It'd only take a few minutes."

"That may be but I have a message to deliver. I'll get in trouble if I'm late." She could feel him staring at her as they walked.

"Really? I don't see a message bag anywhere on you."

Kayta cursed silently. "I'm not your typical runner. I'm a private runner - for a holder. Most of the messages I carry are verbal."

"For a holder? Which one? The one from the gather?" His voice sounded tense, and if Kayta didn't know better she would have thought that he was jealous.

"I'm not at liberty to say, but, no, it's not Miro."

He stepped in front of her, trying to cut her off and make her stop. Instead Kayta turned and went between two trees, he appeared on the other side and spread his arms so that a hand rested on each trunk, trapping her. "Please let me pass."

"My Wingleader and I find it a bit interesting, that here we are, far from any known holding or runner trace, and not only do we find a band of holdless, but we find them in an area that was reported as clear before threadfall started… and then I bump into you."

"And?"

"The closest hold is at least 2 hours away on dragonback... I can only imagine it would be double or triple that for someone on foot."

"You haven't done a lot of walking lately have you?" She snapped again, feeling vindictive. She was frustrated that he wasn't letting her get away, and her head was still throbbing in time with her heartbeat. Why shouldn't she give him a little bit of a headache as well? "Has it occurred to you that maybe the Holdless where on the move while thread was falling and managed to enter this area after threadfall had already gone overhead?"

"That's plausible."

"You also forget that Runner's are bred for speed."

"Kai…" N'kar sighed and frowned at her. "It's just a few simple questions. It'll take only a few minutes, if that, and then you can be on your way."

"A few minutes that may result in my pay being docked." Normal runners might get a tip here and there, would private runners get paid? She couldn't remember. "Please, just let me go. I don't know anything that would be of any interest to you."

He stared at her for a second, and then he shook his head as if in disbelief. "I would be personally happy to help you make up for any lost time."

"No thank you. I'd rather just run."

"Why?" The brownrider looked surprised. "Are you afraid of dragons?"

Kayta snorted. "No."

"Well you're afraid of dragonriders…"

"You're a dragonrider. And I'm talking to you aren't I? I'm not cowering in fear am I?"

"Not now, but when I first met you, you did." N'kar leaned against one of the trees with his shoulder. "And here you are, balking at the idea of talking to another dragonrider... so one must assume that you are afraid of dragonriders."

She snorted. "No, I'm not afraid of dragonriders."

"Then why not?"

"Oh, for the love of Faranth!" Kayta growled and ducked around the tree the brownrider was leaning against. Dragonmen! Apparently they were just as cocky regardless of they were on the Island or the Mainland!

N'kar reached out to grab her arm and stop her getting away. His hand began to close around her upper arm and the slight pressure on the bruise from Z'char was just enough to send pain shooting up her shoulder and neck. Kayta felt like her head was exploding and doubled over, gasping in pain. For a split second she thought might faint, or be sick, and she bit down hard on her tongue to stay conscious. N'kar quickly dropped her arm and wrapped an arm around her back, supporting her as she sat down, cursing and apologizing all at the same time.

"Are you all..."

"I'm fine." Kayta cut him off. She pulled up her knees to her chest, resting her forehead on them as she waited for the dizziness to fade away.

"Obviously, you're not." She could hear the concern in his voice and looked up to see him crouched next to her. He motioned to her arm, which she had wrapped around her stomach. "I'm no healer, but may I?"

"I told you; I'm fine. Besides it's none of your business anyways. Dragonrider's don't get involved in holder problems." Hadn't she told the other Islanders that earlier? Hadn't she promised them that the dragons they saw on watch would leave them alone?

"You were right, you're not your typical runner are you?" The brownrider looked frustrated again, and even though that had been what Kayta had wanted earlier, she suddenly felt bad for pushing him so far. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "No, dragonrider's usually don't get involved in holder problems. Unless it's something that affects all of Pern of course..."

"Then, as this is hardly a problem that affects all Pern: Please, let me go."

"...But," He held up a finger to silence her. "If there is something that hurting others, or if a friend or a family member is in trouble, then it is my problem."

"You barely even know me." She closed her eyes, and an especially painful throb made her wince.

"We've talked quite a bit." He smiled, reminding her of their time spent together at the gather. "I'd like to think that makes up for only having just met you a few days ago."

_I trust him. He is not like the other one, he is nice. _Lysith spoke up suddenly. She still sounded groggy from her nap and Kayta couldn't help but smile to herself a little. _The sooner you let him look at it, the sooner you can talk to that bronzerider, the sooner he will let you go, and then I can take a bath_.

_But what if they catch us?_

_We haven't been caught so far._

The Weyrwoman sighed and opened her eyes to find that the brownrider was still watching her. Reluctantly she held out her arm to him and he gently took her wrist and pushed back her shirt sleeve until it was up past her bicep. He hissed in sympathy when saw the bruising, "Who did this to you? That holder?"

"N'kar..." She sighed. "It's not like that."

"Then tell me..." He fumbled around in a pouch at his belt with his free hand and pulled out a scrap of cloth and a small jar of numbweed. Letting her wrist go for a moment, he dabbed the cloth in the salve and then smeared it over the bruise. "...what it's like. You don't strike me as the type to let yourself get knocked around."

"I'm not... but it's hard to avoid something when you don't see it coming, and no it wasn't Miro - he actually defended me and he got the healer for me."

"And the healer let you run a message like this?" N'kar quirked an eyebrow at her, then chuckled to himself when she avoided his eyes. "The healer doesn't know, does she?"

"I don't know why she's so concerned. They're just bruises."

"Did he get your other arm as well?" He let go of her wrist and was soon treating her other bicep. The bruises were just as vivd there, and it was easy to make out the individual finger marks. "You're insane. If I wasn't so sure that you'd tear my hide off I'd give you a good scolding."

She laughed, "I'm not that bad."

"Are you going to be able to walk to the clearing?"

"They're just bruises. My legs are fine." To prove that she was capable of moving on her own two feet Kayta stood and promptly stumbled when the world decided to tilt on her. The brownrider was quick to catch her and steadied her against him, deftly avoiding coming into contact with her arms by holding her around the waist. She frowned her stomach flip-flopped, and decided that it was probably from the pounding in her head even though it felt like her skin was burning where his arms were wrapped around her.


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - not a major rewrite, but just some tweaking here and there - so I definitely recommend rereading everything. Plus, I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her approval._

_~AS_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

"You can let me go now. See, I'm standing." Kai was tense, standing so straight that none of her body touched N'kar except for where his hands rested on her waist.

"Just barely," He snorted, but dropped his hands from her waist slowly, ready to catch her if she should fall.

She stood still for a second, then walked around in a small circle in front of him. "See? I'm perfectly fine."

The brownrider didn't respond, but watched her as she continued to pace around, quietly admiring the view. Sure she was a bit flatter in the chest than he preferred, but what she lacked in bosom department was made up for with a pair of nice long legs. Legs that were shown off rather nicely by the wherhide pants she was wearing...

He frowned to himself at that; it was summer time, why in the world was a runner wearing wherhide pants? Bitra was cooler than say, Beden, or Nerat, but it was still warm enough that they couldn't be comfortable. And the more he looked at the pants, the more he thought they looked suspiciously like the style he and other riders preferred when flying on their dragons. Now why on pern would she have riding gear like that?

"Is everything all right, Brownrider?"

N'kar looked up to find Kai watching him. "I was just admiring your pants."

"Oh... these old things?" Her smile faltered and she laughed nervously. "They were just the first clean things I saw when I was woken up to run this message the other day."

"They must be hot to run in."

"You have no idea. I'll probably pack them away until winter when I get home."

_R'nahl is asking Xanth to ask me what is taking you so long_. Elanth spoke up, more than a little annoyed at having to relay so much today. _He wants to get back before the pass ends._

_Let Xanth know to tell R'nahl that we are on our way._ When N'kar looked back at Kai she was staring off into the distance, her brow furrowed in thought. He touched her hand to get her attention and she jumped, stumbling. He grabbed her under the elbows before she fell down to the ground again. He could feel her trembling. "Maybe I should carry you."

She jerked herself out of his hands. "No!"

"Kai..." He rubbed at his temples. By Faranth, she was a stubborn woman. Stubborn and as moody as a green dragon.

"I can walk." The runner avoided his eyes and started off in the direction of the clearing. She stopped and turned back when he didn't follow. "Isn't it this way?"

"Yes."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

N'kar stared at her, "How do you know where the holdless camp was?"

"I noticed it while I was running. Don't you remember? I only bumped into you a few yards away from it."

"And you didn't stop?"

"Why would I? I'm paid to run messages, not stop and talk to people." She snorted and started walking again, forcing the brownrider run a little to catch up with her.

_She does have a point_. Elanth was offering his opinion again

_She always has a point – but somethings not right_. Something had never been quite right about her now that he thought of it, however, you couldn't really take someone into custody and insist that the Lord Holders lock them up because they were behaving oddly, wearing clothing a normal runner wouldn't be caught dead in, and knew things they shouldn't. Maybe she was an Abominator? He didn't agree with the Abominators, but he didn't think it was right to punish someone for their beliefs as long as they weren't hurting anyone else or causing damage to the Holds, Halls, and Weyrs. Hadn't the Avias files shown that that was what had caused many of the wars on old Earth?

_She is not an abominator._

_Then what is she?_

_She is a green who isn't a green._

_You said that at the Gather too. What is that supposed to mean anyways? That she's not really a runner? If she's not a runner, then what is she?_

_I do not know. There is something different about her. She is not close enough for me to tell what though. _The dragon sounded confused.

_Well I doubt she will let you get close enough for an inspection. Are you thinking she might be a possible candidate?_

_No, it is too late for that._

_Too late? She's barely 24 if a day! _While she was a bit old to be a candidate there were other women who had impressed queens, and the occasional green who were older. Elanth didn't respond though andN'kar shook his head as he helped Kai step over a large exposed root. Again she jerked away from him nearly immediately, but this time he noticed that there was a faint blush on her cheeks. What, by the egg, was wrong with the girl now? Unless...

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as they walked side by side. Was it possible that his attraction was not as one sided as he thought? N'kar pushed the thought out of his mind almost as soon as it occurred to him. This was not the time to be daydreaming about such things. First they had to figure out what was going on here first, and, even once they did, why would he want to spend any more time with her after today?

Soon enough they had reached the clearing and N'kar was surprised to see that the holdless where packing up their things. R'nahl was talking off to one side with D'rean and J'lin, whom they had called in after discovering the camp, and an older man that N'kar had never seen before. The leader of the holdless group, perhaps?

The man paled when he saw Kai, but he did not say anything in greeting to her. N'kar bent low so that only the runner would hear his whisper, "Do you know him?"

"I've never seen him before in my life." She flinched away from him, and rubbed at her neck.

"He seems to know you." N'kar raised an eyebrow at her. Kai looked as if she were about to say something, but froze when she noticed R'nahl's shoulder knots. N'kar had to put his hand on her back and give her a slight push forward to keep her moving. N'kar cleared his throat to get R'nahl's attention. "Runner Kai, this Wingleader R'nahl, rider of Bronze Xanth."

"_Runner_ Kai? The runner from the gather?" D'rean's grin was sly. R'nahl turned a frown on the bluerider, and D'rean quickly shut up, though his eyes flashed with excitement. N'kar had the sudden feeling that he would never hear the end of this once they got back to Benden.

Kai seemed to relax a little, and gave him a slight smile. "Yes, the very same."

"D'rean is just a little over enthusiastic sometimes." R'nahl offered, his expression seemed to falter a little as he studied Kai. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"No, sir. I've never made any runs to a Weyr and Dragonriders never visit our hold." She had paled a little bit though, and N'kar gave his wingleader a strange look.

_Xanth says that R'nahl thinks the girl looks familiar. She reminds him of Malena's friend._ Elanth spoke up quietly.  
_  
R'nahl never met Malena's friend._

_Xanth says that Kaelith saw the girl from her rider's memories. He showed R'nahl since R'nahl was curious. _

_Ah. That girl died though. Besides, the friends name was Kayta, not Kai._

_R'nahl says that people can change names. _Elanth sounded perplexed at the idea of that. _Why would someone change their name?_

_Depends. I changed my name when I impressed you. Others may do it because they're trying to hide who they are_, which, N'kar admited to himself, Kai was definitely hiding something.

"You look like a friend of a friend though." R'nahl continued to probe the runner, "Have you ever been to Blue Vale hold?"

"I've never heard of it. And I can assure you that I don't know anyone a dragonrider would be familiar with." Kai would have stepped back, but N'kar still had his hand on her back which prevented that. He noticed that the girl looked like she was actually scared now.

The bronzerider was visibly confused, "Is that an insult, Journeywoman?"

"No sir. Just the honest truth."

"But you know N'kar here."

"Only from a chance meeting at a gather."

"A gather that was half a continent away..."

"... And a few weeks ago. More than enough time for any runner worth their salt to make a crossing." She seemed to gather herself and gave R'nahl a sweet smile. "If you don't mind me asking, is there a point to all this? I thought I was going to be asked questions about the holdless here and their plight, not about what hold I'm from or what I'm doing I'm doing here."

D'rean bit down on his glove quickly in order to keep from laughing and N'kar had to duck his head to hide his smile. R'nahl scowled at them both anyways, then turned his attention back to Kai. "We'll get to those eventually."

_Xanth says R'nahl would like to know why she seems to think we were going to ask questions about the holdless._ Elanth relayed.

_I told her we had found holdless nearby. She probably put two and two together. She's not a deadglow._

"Where you aware that there was threadfall in Bitra today?" R'nahl had started again.

"No, I only knew because your wingsecond had told me."

"I'm surprised you missed it."

Kai gestured off towards the Benden/Bitra border. "I camped out just inside the border and ran in, I must have just missed it."

"That's a long distance to run." R'nahl glanced at N'kar, and the brownrider shook his head slightly.

"I may be slower than thread, but I'm still quick on my feet." The smile on the runner's face was faltering, as if she knew that the dragonriders could see through her lies.

"Did you see any burrows on your way here? If you did, can you tell us where they are? It would save us a lot of time." D'rean finally spoke up.

She shook her head, "No, but I didn't know thread had fallen so I wasn't looking for any."

R'nahl sighed. He waved a hand towards the men and women now watching them covertly while they continued to pack. "Have you ever seen these people before?"

"No."

The bronzerider looked at the old man behind him, "And you've never seen her before?"

"I doubt someone like her would even associate with our kind... " The old man scowled. "But then, I wasn't expecting that dragonriders would stop to check on us either so who knows."

"But you don't know her?"

"No, sir."

"The Lord Holder complained to us that there were supplies missing from his store rooms..."

"We haven't passed near any holds, and all we have is the bags we're carrying." Which, N'kar noticed, wasn't very much.

"Can we go now?" Kai interrupted. "Neither of us have done anything wrong."

R'nahl sighed in frustration. He jerked his head at N'kar and led the wingsecond a short distance away from the others. "I don't like this."

"Neither do I, but the runner is right, they haven't done anything wrong. They don't have any stolen supplies, and besides it's up to Sigomal to police his own borders, not us."

"What about the runner?"

"What about her?"

"I don't know, what about the fact that she's hiding something? We should at least drag her back to the Weyr with us."

N'kar snorted. "And what would that accomplish? She'd never tell us anything, plus whatever holder she looks to would probably demand restitution and F'lar would have our hides for interfering. I don't know about you, but I don't look forward to being assigned latrine duty for the rest of my life."

"What is your suggestion then?"

"I say we let them both go. We know what the holdless will be going to Igen, so if something comes up and we need to find them, we'll know where to look. As for Kai, well, she's just a girl. What damage could one girl do?"

"Thella was just 'a girl'."

"Kai may be a lot of things, but she doesn't strike me as another Thella." The brownrider looked over his shoulder and found that the runner was watching them. She glanced away as soon as their eyes met though, and he turned back to R'nahl. "You're the wingleader, though. It's your decision."

"Allright." R'nahl walked back towards the small group. He turned to the leader of the holdless first; "I know we gave you that map with directions to the Igen caves, but I would prefer it if we flew you down there ourselves."

"Oh that won't be necessary." The holdess man looked terrified. "We've had more than enough excitement for one day…"

"I insist." R'nahl's tone left no room for arguing. The old man sighed and turned back towards his people. He shouted off a list of directions and the holdless quickly stared putting their things into bundles for the dragons to carry.

N'kar was not thrilled at the prospect of carting people around when all he wanted to do was eat, bathe and sleep. However some of the holdless were not in the best of shape, and he doubted that they would last if they were forced to make the trek down to Igen without any help.

"As for me?" Kai spoke up, reminding the bronzerider that she was still there.

"You're free to go as well. N'kar could take you back to your hold."

She shook her head. "No."

"This isn't a request."

"It's not your place to order me around." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at R'nahl. N'kar was suddenly reminded of a feline that was mad or startled, arching its back and raising its hair to appear bigger than it actually was. Even so, she still looked exhausted and he had the sudden urge to scoop her up and take her back to Benden on Elanth, let Manora look at her arms, and then force the girl to rest. He knew that would go over just as well as a wherry in a firelizard clutch though, and gripped his riding belt in his hands in an effort to restrain himself.

R'nahl started to open his mouth to say something, but N'kar jumped in instead. "I realize, Kai, that you're not particularly fond of dragons or their riders, but you're in no shape to be running around Pern by yourself..."

"I'm fine. Besides, you're already taking the holdless down to Igen… I doubt there's enough room on your brown."

He laughed, "You'd be surprised. Elanth is a big brown. Not as big as Canth of course…"

"Did you not hear me, Wingsecond? This isn't a request." R'nahl was glowering at him now.

"Of course I heard you, Wingleader. However, the runner is right, it is not our place to order her around."

_Xanth says that R'nahl wants you to take the girl so we can find out where her hold is located. Just in case we need to find her again._ The brown dragon was beginning to sound bored.

_Let Xanth know that I understand what R'nahl wants, but Kai won't come anywhere near a dragon. _N'kar willed the other man to understand_. We would have to drag her kicking and screaming. Tell him I have a better idea that will save us the headaches and the muscle strain._

The bronzerider continued to glare at him before stomping away. "Fine!"

N'kar sighed and looked back at Kai. He hoped she had bought the act. "I'm terribly sorry about that."

"The answer is still no."

"Alright, then at least let me know that you've gotten back to your hold in one piece. Just send a note with that blue of yours if he's around, or pass it on by other runners if he's not well trained."

"I'll be fine."

"It's either this, or I follow you on Elanth."

"Okay." She smiled a little at that. "I make no promises, but I'll try."

"Good enough." N'kar took her hand and squeezed it gently before letting go. "Farwell, Runner Kai."

"Farwell, Brownrider."


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - not a major rewrite, but just some tweaking here and there - so I definitely recommend rereading everything. Plus, I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her approval._

_~AS  
_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

"The holdless are becoming a problem again." R'nahl told N'kar when they had landed back at Benden Weyr. The two riders stood off to the side of the feeding grounds while their dragons hunted.

"Today's the first that I've heard of any complaints." Even though there had barely been any injuries during fall, the weyrbowl was still bustling with activity. N'kar watched it detachedly, physically drained from dealing with thread and running into Kai. Who knew that talking to one girl could be so exhausting?

"Bitra is the first complaint I've heard personally but F'lar said at the last meeting that some of the other holders have been noticing supplies missing as well. Things like older grain or sick beasts from their herds."

N'kar frowned. "How big of a problem is this?"

"Continent wide."

"And they're upset about items missing that they wouldn't have used anyways?"

"The majority of the reports are coming from smaller holds though and it's this type of pilfering really hurts them. Those are beasts and grain that could have been killed for food or for trade. It's almost like Thella is back from the dead." R'nahl waved at his weyrmate, Malena, who was on the other side of the feeding grounds from them. The Queenrider ignored him and he sighed to himself. N'kar gave him a look before going back to watching Elanth hunt. The brown dragon pulled a large bull off to one side, and promptly started devoring the carcass. "One of the holders who was stolen from claims he saw a dragon leaving his hold just before he and his family discovered what had happened. They were not able to tell what weyr he was from though. Xanth was eyeing that bull by the way."

"Well, that'll teach him to be slow around a brown." Elanth had already made short work of the meat, and was eyeing another heardbeast. N'kar made a mental note to call him in after the next kill. Two good sized herdbeasts were more than enough for any dragon. "So the holders are accusing us of stealing?"

"Yep."

"But dragonmen have no reason to steal, and the oldtimers who used to are all gone. What does F'lar have to say about all of this?"

"He suspects it may be a rogue dragonrider who might be acting on his own. The Weyrleaders want all of us to keep our eyes open for any unusual activity... I told him about the holdless and about the runner."

"And?"

"He agrees with us, but doesn't feel that a missing girl and a group of holdless are our priority right now. I still don't like it though."

"Neither do I." N'kar didn't add that it was for different reasons though. The bruises on Kai's arms and the malnourished appearance of the holdless were still vivid in his memory. "At least we were able to prove that the holdless aren't the ones behind the thefts."

"Yes, but we still have a runner out there, somewhere, who might be." R'nahl glared at the brownrider. "I should reprimand you for your behavior earlier."

"You should, but you won't."

"Given how head over heals you are about this girl, I thought you would have leapt at the opportunity to rescue her from whatever brutes might have hurt her and win her over that way, or at least hole her up somewhere until she gives in to your advances. "

N'kar threw a rock at the other man, who easily ducked out of the way. He didn't want to admit that the thought had crossed his mind - that he had nearly dragged Kai back to his weyr after he had seen her bruises. It would have been for her own safety, of course, to protect her from whatever holder had abused her so and to give her time to rest and heal. But he couldn't deny he had also entertained the thought that maybe, just maybe, that she might have been more than willing and would have let him have her. Sure she frustrated him to no end, first with the being shy and then with her evasive behavior earlier, however there was something there that captivated him as well. His hands burned to hold her, to soothe the bruises away, to caress her, to make her cry out his name. It was an ache he hadn't felt in a long time.

Hadn't he learned his lesson with Llydwen though? He had rescued her from a bad situation and look how that had turned out. Rather than being thankful to the brownrider, she had grown to hate him when falls and Weyr business forced him to leave her alone and had sought solace in other rider's beds, lying about it to him afterwards.

Kai wasn't Llydwen, but she certainly had her own share of secrets, and he wasn't sure he wanted to go through it again.

He tossed another pebble across the ledge he and R'nahl were standing on. The other man frowned at him. "Stop moping."

"I'm not moping." R'nahl chuckled and N'kar sighed. "I can't be with someone I can't trust."

"Ignoring the fact that I agree with you - that I believe that she is hiding something - why do you think you can't trust her?"

"There's the fact that she won't tell us what hold she's from. The holdless also knew her and recognized her..."

"She also could be that missing runner…"

"Why did you ask her about that anyways?" N'kar had thought that if R'nahl had gone straight for the line of questioning he was expecting, the bronzerider might had been able to get more information out of Kai since she had seemed genuinely afraid of him. The questions about if she was the runner Kayta had shocked Kai out of that.

"When Malena was upset one time and wouldn't tell me or anyone else what she was so worked up over. I had Xanth talk to Kaelith to see if Kaelith could give us some insight on the situation – she told Xanth it was about some girl and then showed him a picture of what I assume was her runner friend. I'll have Xanth show Elanth when they're done eating - I swear that runner of yours looks like Malena's friend."

"All the reports say that she died though. The searchers found her belt knife and buckle – nothing else. That's pretty strong evidence that thread got her."

"Malena reminded me the other day that there was no burrow, and that one of the first riders out there reported seeing boot marks and dragonprints." The bronzerider pointed out. "However none of the Weyrs reported rescuing anyone that day, except for Malena and Ginaera."

"And now holders are saying they saw dragonriders stealing from them..." Maybe there was a rogue group of dragonriders in one of the weyrs, who were taking things from the holds and occasionally kidnapping people. Maybe Kai and Malena's friend were one in the same, and she had been one of their victims.

Maybe even Llydwen had been one of their victims.

However, why only go for the older grain and animals? Why not go for the good stuff? And why take an injured runner? Or a fellow dragonrider's weyrmate? And, most importantly of all, if all this had been going on in one of the Weyrs, why hadn't someone noticed sooner?

It explained a lot, but it still didn't make sense.

_You said the girl is not your concern anymore and the other one has been gone for a long long time. She is not your problem either._

_Shush you_, N'kar saw Elanth going for a wherry out of the corner of his eye and pulled the dragon up short, _There is no reason to gorge if you're not hungry anymore. Leave some for the rest._

_It looks so tasty though!_  
_  
You'll be too fat to fly if you keep eating everything that looks tasty._ N'kar chuckled at his dragon, and then nodded at Malena. "Are you going to tell her about Kai?"

"I would like to." R'nahl frowned again as he concentrated on pulling Xanth in from the hunt.

"Don't. At least not just yet."

"Why?"

"What if you're wrong and Kai isn't Malena's friend? Do you want to get Malena's hopes up only to crush them like that?" Elanth landed near them and lowered his head so that N'kar could rub his eye ridges. "It wouldn't exactly help your cause with our dear queenrider."

"What if I'm right?"

"I don't think Kai would appreciate having her old friend suddenly turn up on a massive dragon while she's running on a trace." In the Weyrbowl someone started to call out that it was dinner time. N'kar patted his brown's neck one last time and sent him up to the weyrledge to soak in what was left of the sun. R'nahl did the same with his bronze, and the two riders began to walk towards the dinning cavern.

"Allright, but if Malena finds out about us not telling her sooner, and she gets upset, I will be letting her know that it's all your idea." The bronzerider shook a finger at his wingsecond.

Thankfully dinner was relatively quiet; D'rean was far too focused on flirting with Ginaera to give N'kar a hard time about the runner, and R'nahl managed to distract Malena whenever she started to ask about what his wing had been up to today. N'kar ate quickly, and then went to check in with Nelladwyn's foster mother to see how the boy was doing. The boy stayed at the back of the room and, like normal, did not greet his father, while the rest of the foster children surged around the brownrider and asked for stories about the fall. The woman quickly chased them off and Nelladwyn escaped with them, but before the boy left N'kar was happy to note that he looked healthy and appeared to have grown some.

N'kar shared a glass of wine with the boy's foster mother, but quickly left when he realized that the woman was hoping for an invitation up to his weyr. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy her company or find her attractive, but he had heard stories that she was popular with over half of the riders in the Weyr and did not enjoy the thought of spending the night with someone whose company his friends might have enjoyed before him.

_This woman does not pretend and would make you happy_. Elanth intruded into his thoughts as he crossed the weyrbowl.

_She's not Kai..._

_But I thought you don't want to be with the other one._

_It's not something that you can just turn off, old friend._ N'kar asked Elanth to ferry him up to their weyrledge, and, once inside the weyr, he stripped the dragon of his harness and watched as the big brown curled up on his couch.

_Then find her and catch her like a green._

_I don't think she would enjoyed being wooed that way. _

_You humans make things so much harder than they need to be._ The brown dragon snorted, sending dust flurries dancing through the air.

_Yes, I do think your lot has it easier when it comes to mating. _N'kar smiled and scratched the dragon's eye ridges until the eyelids closed one by one and he was sure Elanth was asleep. The dragon reeked of firestone and charred thread, and he realized that he himself didn't smell much better. He headed towards the bathing caverns at the back of his sleeping alcove, stripping himself of his tunic, wherhide jacket, pants and boots along the way.

His bathing room was not nearly as nice as some of the other dragonriders since he was higher up on the Weyr wall. The pool was only as long as he was tall, and the water only came up to about his mid thigh, but that was really all he needed. He quickly scrubbed down with some soapsand and sat, letting the warm water rinse away the suds and relax his sore muscles.

N'kar was just beginning to doze off when he heard something crash in the chamber beyond, startling him out of a pleasant dream. He cursed to himself and climbed out of the water, then wrapped a towel around his middle just in case. He didn't think Nelladwyn's foster mother would have gotten into her head to follow him, but then he had heard stranger stories about some of the lower cavern's inhabitants before. He pushed aside the curtain separating the two rooms only to find that his sleeping quarters were empty except for a blue firelizard that was trying to find room to land on one of N'kar's shelves. It had no painted on crest or markings showing what hold it might be from, but even so he knew that it was the runner's.

The brownrider didn't know what to do for a minute. Even though Kai had promised him to send word that she had arrived at wherever safe and sound, he hadn't really expected her to do so. Yet here was her firelizard, zipping around his head and chattering at him in annoyance. He held out his arm for the creature to land on and deftly untied the bit of parchment from its hind leg. The firelizard went to jump up and leave, but N'kar distracted the creature by offering the blue some pieces of fruit left over from breakfast the day before. He coached the blue onto his bed with some more of the fruit, which the firelizard greedily inhaled.

N'kar shook his head at it and unrolled the bit of parchment. The note inside was cramped and a little sloppy, so much so that he imagined that it had probably been written seconds before Kai had fallen asleep:

"_I have made it home safely. Thank you for the numbweed."_

The last line had been scratched out and rewritten at least once or twice:  
_  
"...I did not mean to be... I apologize for being so much... I am sorry..."_

Sorry for what? For trying to run away from him? For being so stubborn? N'kar sat down on his bed and stretched out his legs in front of him. Maybe somehow he had managed to reach through to the real Kai today. Maybe if he ran into her again she might actually trust him and tell him the truth. He looked down at the firelizard next to him, "You're her firelizard: you wouldn't happen to know what she's thinking, would you?"

The blue chirped at him again in annoyance and the brownrider sighed. "I didn't think you would."

_Elanth..._ He hated to wake up his dragon, but he had to see his idea from earlier through.

_Yes? _

_Can you talk to this fellow and see if he can tell you where he is from? We might be able to find out about Kai's hold from him._

N'kar watched as the firelizard stopped eating the fruit. It chirped in surprise and twisted it's body around to peer through the doorway into the weyr beyond where Elanth's eye's whirled slowly in the darkness. _Kai is not from a hold. She is from a Weyr!_

_A Weyr? Which one?_ He was surprised – maybe there was a rogue dragonrider after all. Acting as if nothing was wrong, he grabbed a writing stick from his bedside table and wrote out a quick note for the blue to take back to Kai. Folding it over he tied it back to the firelizard's leg. It was so entranced by Elanth that it hardly noticed what he was doing.

_It is not one that I recognize._ Elanth shared with N'kar what the firelizard had shown him. The brownrider had a quick impression of a hot and humid beach surrounded on two sides by a high cliff, except for the third where a jungle. Unfortunately it was not strong nor vivid enough for Elanth to use to go b_etween_ to.

A Weyr. There was another Weyr. One no one knew about. And Kai was a part of it.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - not a major rewrite, but just some tweaking here and there - so I definitely recommend rereading everything. Plus, I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her approval._

_~AS  
_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

"You went back to the Mainland, didn't you?" Kayta looked over to the door of the records room to see M'rocav standing there, watching her. "I thought you had promised N'bel that you wouldn't be going back there."

"I told him I would only go if it was Weyr business." Out of paranoia, Kayta got up and checked the windows of the room before saying anything else. Even though she knew Z'char was passed out again from another drinking binge, any of his dedicated 'friends' could be anywhere. Not that it mattered. M'rocav rarely got upset, but when he did the man was loud and she was sure that everyone in the Weyr could hear him right now. "M'taren told me about the holders. I wanted to make sure that they were safe and that they wouldn't give us away."

"Did Z'char knocking you around damage your brain, girl? Not only did you break your promise to N'bel, but you've gone against the first thing he ever taught you!" M'rocav yelled, making Kayta flinch as she returned to her chair. "In order for us to survive, we must stay hidden. Every time you go to the mainland there's a chance that you could be discovered!"

"This coming from the man who used to want to go to the mainland gathers on a monthly basis. No one saw me except for the holders." She lied, not wanting to admit running into that damned brownrider again. She felt her face flush at the thought of him though, and ducked her head before M'rocav could notice, pretending to study the wax plate in front of her.

"The captain of the supply boat..."

"A supply boat arrived? When?" That explained why Berjoui had brought her breakfast this morning. Kayta decided that she would have to have a chat with Deranna this afternoon. It was not right that the Weyrwoman was the last person to know about these things… especially when keeping track of the Weyr supplies where her responsibility.

"... tells me that the mainlanders are looking for rogue dragonrider. Supposedly there have been reports of a brown dragon stealing from some of the smaller holds. You know that the survival to this Weyr is that we must be kept secret! If the mainland finds out about us..."

"If the captain claims the holds are seeing a brown dragon then why are you yelling at me?"

M'rocav frowned, "We've painted up Lysith as a brown before."

"We ran out of that paint ages ago... and she was more of a bronze once the paint dried. Besides, where are all these stolen supplies if I've been the one stealing them?"

"I don't know! You could be hiding them."

"Really, M'rocav! If I was the one stealing the supplies, why are we not eating well like Dragonmen should?" Kayta quirked an eyebrow at him when he didn't respond. "Stop scolding me for something I didn't do; I'm the Weyrwoman, not a foolish weyrling!"

"You certainly act like a weyrling sometimes! Not only did you endanger yourself and Lysith by going to the Mainland when you were injured but you've endangered us by going while they're looking for rogue dragonriders!" He started to pace. "Also, the captain tells me that we're not going to get shipments as often, if at all, because he feels he is being watched, and we've lost the few mainland holds that were helping to support us. They're afraid to send us anything now."

"You are out of line, Bronzerider!" Kayta fumed. M'rocav may have shared her bed once upon a time, but that did not give him the right to yell at her.

"There are not many riders from this Weyr who are familiar with the Mainland."

"I see one in front of me and I know of two more in your wing."

"N'nyal and M'taren wouldn't dare..."

"M'taren obviously had enough gumption to disobey Z'char and rescue the holders." She reminded him then took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. If they continued yelling like this, not only would Lysith and Lementh get upset, but they ran the risk of waking up Z'char as well. "He dropped them in an area that even I, with all my running experience, have never seen. You also forget that N'bel is just as familiar with the Mainland as I am, and Z'char is too. However, if they have been raiding, they haven't been bringing their contraband back here. We've been running short on supplies for over a month now..."

"You've known?"

"I knew something wasn't adding up, because we weren't getting any shipments, but we weren't running low like we should be…"

"… Which was because Z'char was getting the supplies from the holders."

"Exactly, but now that that has stopped we're beginning to run low again."

"Well, it probably doesn't help that you had some of the greens take the extra supplies back to the holds."

"They need food to survive as much as we do. In the meantime we can start hunting the dragons down South more - there are still plenty of areas that haven't been claimed for holds yet - and we use the herdbeasts we have here to feed the weyrfolk. Grains we can ration, but that will only last us for so long."

"The others won't go for that."

"No they won't." The other dragonriders had never liked Kayta or her ideas when they discovered that she was a mainlander. "They might take it better from you though. Consider this practice for when you do become Weyrleader."

M'rocav snorted, "If this is what being a Weyrleader involves, then no wonder Z'char drinks so much."

"Z'char drinks because he likes to drink, not because he's stressed or is worried about what will happens to us." Kayta snorted and rubbed at her temples. Maybe she should take up drinking and just lounge around in her weyr all day. It would certainly be a lot easier than all of this.

The bronzerider reached over and pulled her hands away from her face, covering them with his own. "Another headache?"

"No, I'm fine. Really." She actually had not had any since coming back from the Mainland three days ago. The amount of sleeping she did after timing it to get back to the Weyr before anyone noticed probably had something to do with that though.

"Liar," He sighed. "Things will get easier when Lementh finally flies Lysith."

"How?" She pulled her hands out of his and stood. So much of their plans relied on the change of the weyrleadership, and she was beginning to realize that that wasn't enough. "Regardless of who is or isn't the Weyrleader or the Weyrwoman, we will still have to worry about food and other supplies. In order for us to survive, the Weyr as a whole is going to have to change."

"We've survived this long just fine." The bronzerider was beginning to get offended again.

"No, actually, we're just barely surviving." Kayta grimaced, and gestured towards the hides and scrolls scattered across the table. "Going as far back as 450 turns ago the records show that we've constantly been on the edge of starvation, even after bringing in the Holders to farm for us and monitoring the dragon population we still barely survive turn after turn. The only thing that was saving us was trade with the mainland. We might be able to reopen trade again once this all blows over, maybe even before then, but..." For once words seemed to fail her and she let her speech hang unfinished for a moment while she tried to think of what to say next. M'rocav had been N'bel's protégé long before she came around and suggesting anything untraditional might set him off. She decided instead to stay on subject and not bring up any radical ideas. "I don't think that the mainland holds will want to continue trading with us now, if what this captain says is true…"

"Then we find new holds to trade with."

"There's still the problem of trying to get the supplies here though. We can't have them brought in by ship anymore, and we can't just pop out of between and pick the supplies up in front of them."

M'rocav shrugged, "Then we get handcarts, cart whatever we've traded for a far distance away, and then pick them up."

"That still leaves us with the possibility of being seen, especially with holders being on the watch for rogue dragonriders." Kayta would rather that they just came out to the rest of Pern, but she knew that that would not go over well with the rest of the Weyr.

He smiled at her, pleased with himself for figuring out a resolution to the problem. "Let's worry about getting holds to trade with first, and then we can figure out a way to get the supplies to us. What's the old saying? Where there's a will, there's a way?"

"Alright. What holds do you suggest we discuss trading with?"

"There's that group of holders I was talking to at Southern Boll's gather. They might be open to trade. You're the last mainlander we recruited to be a rider. Has your hold ever been open to tithing to us?"

Kayta snorted; 'Recruiting' was one way of putting it. "Igen, where I was born, is much too large and well known for us to trade with. The hold I grew up at might be an option. They are smaller and farther away from Benden so it would be easier for us to sneak in, however they've never been able to farm very much there - just enough to get by and make their tithes to their Lord Holder and Benden Weyr – so we may not be able to get much out of them if they are willing to trade."

"It might be worth talking to them though." He walked over and brushed a stray strand of hair out her face, pulling her in close. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out pet."

The Weyrwoman looked at him in surprise: It had been a long time since he had called her that, and it had been an equally long time since he had looked at her in that way. He began to lean in as if to kiss her and she quickly avoided it by ducking out of his arms. She grabbed some scrolls and wax plates off the table and began to shelve them haphazardly, ignoring the strain on her arms. "If you could have one of the weyrlings bring up the ship manifests it would be greatly appreciated. Once I get them, I can start figuring out how to ration things, and you can break the news to the rest of the Weyr."

"The ship manifests will be on their way as soon as the supplies are unloaded." If M'rocav was disappointed that she had shunned his advances, he wasn't showing it, but his tone was suddenly very formal, and Kayta looked at him in surprise. "Is there anything else you needed, Weyrwoman?"

"No. Thank you." She watched as he nodded and left the room, before sinking down into her chair again.

_Why did you not allow him to kiss you? He likes you. Don't you like him_? Lysith was awake, and was confused by her rider's behavior. _You used to like him. You wanted him as Weyrleader._

_I still like him, and I do want him as Weyrleader – if you'll ever let Lementh fly you._

_He isn't fast enough to catch me. No one is._

_Calaranth did. _

The queen dragon grumbled at the reminder. _I was younger and he tricked me._

_Uh-huh. Yes, dear._ Kayta smiled to herself. _Regardless of how I feel towards M'rocav though, I am not about to forgive him that easily when he was yelling at me for no reason._

_He only yelled because he was worried. _

_We are all worried. That is still not a reason to accuse us of something we didn't do. _

_We did go the Mainland when you told N'bel we wouldn't._

_Yes, but we only went to check on those holders._ Kayta stood and started pacing, wondering how they were doing. It was really none of her business now, but she couldn't help feel responsible for their situation and she wished she had been able to help them out more.

He _will make sure that they are okay._ The gold dragon tried to reassure her rider.

The Weyrwoman knew immediately who she was referring to and sighed. Yes, that damned brownrider would see to them. Even though he was probably suspicious of them, especially her, after the other day, he would still make sure that the holders were okay. He was to honorable not to.


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry to have been gone for so long. Work has been crazy busy, and I've been working massive amounts of overtime as a result. I've also been busy working on rewriting the story again - see I have a Beta now (thank you PrettyLilah) who has read through everything and given her suggestions on how to make the story better. I have no idea how I got along without her. Anywho, much of the story is still the same, but enough has changed here and there that I'd recommend rereading the story from the beginning.  
_

_~AS  
_

_(I own nothing in this story except my own characters. Pern and everything else belongs to Anne McCaffrey)_

True to his word, M'rocav did send up a weyrling with the shipment manifests before the afternoon was over. Kayta went over them quickly, adding the numbers to her storage records before frowning to herself: the shipment helped, but they were still short on several items. If she rationed everything down to the minimum amount needed for survival, they had enough supplies for four months. If she raised the rations to a more reasonable amount, they had at least a month and a half to two months worth of food.

She frowned and stared at the figures on the wax plate. Maybe if they took the dragons down to Southern to feed, they could use the herdbeasts they had at the Weyr to feed the weyrfolk. Not to mention that they could add to their supplies by harvesting some of the fruits available on the Islands. The riders themselves were too lazy to pick anything, but maybe it could be turned into a game for the weyrlings and other children. That should help stretch things out a bit, they would still be dangerously low on grains, but it would help.

Feeling a bit better about the situation, she turned her attention to the maps they had of the Mainland holds, and quickly decided that, if they were going to try to continue to trade, it would be best to try the smaller holds that were located farther off the normal tracks and traces. Those usually did not get traders as often as the main holds did and may have some surplus as a result…

"Didn't Berjoui say that you should be resting?"

This time it was N'bel standing over her. She sighed; apparently being able to do her work in peace and quiet was out of the question. "Doesn't anyone know how to knock anymore?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I didn't think it was necessary for one to knock in order to enter the records room, especially considering that it's open to all the riders to use."

Kayta didn't respond. She watched as he sat down in the chair across from her, wondering why he had come here; was it to scold her again? Had M'rocav complained about her turning him away? Had he let it slip that she had visited the Mainland?

"Berjoui says that you didn't send for lunch today, or for dinner."

"I wasn't hungry."

"Well, she asked me to bring you some fish rolls." He put the plate he had been carrying on the table, and pushed it towards her.

"I'm still not hungry."

"Girl…"

"Don't start." She turned back to the maps. "I'm busy and I don't have the time or the patience to be scolded by you right now like I'm some errant child."

He chuckled. "No, I wasn't about to scold you – I heard M'rocav already did that earlier."

"Lovely." So the rest of the Weyr had heard the argument.

"What are you working on?"

"Well, knowing how gossip travels, I'm sure you're aware that the holds we were trading with on the Mainland refuse to trade with us." He nodded. "So I am trying to find new holds for us to get supplies from, but it's proving to be harder than I expected."

"Eat and let me see those." The weyrlingmaster deftly tugged the maps out of her reach and spread them out in front of him, earning a glare from the Weyrwoman. "I see you've found six holds that might be suitable."

"We need more."

"Why? Six is more than enough."

"What if they don't want to trade with us?"

"They're all far enough off of the normal traces that they don't get to see some of the bigger traders. They'll be more than happy to trade with us."

Kayta poked at one of the fish rolls with her pen. "I wish I shared your optimism. I keep feeling like this is somehow going to blow up in our faces."

"It might if the wrong person is sent."

"There's the other problem – finding someone to go and talk to these holders." She reached out and grabbed N'bel's hand to get his attention. He would either love what she was about to say, or hate it. "A week ago you tried to make me promise you that I wouldn't go to the mainland…"

"And you, being your stubborn self, refused…"

She rolled her eyes skyward and continued, "…I said I wouldn't unless it was Weyr business, and you suggested I find someone else…"

"…Which you refused to do as well." He chuckled to himself again.

"You were right. I shouldn't go anywhere near the mainland. I should be sending someone else in my place." Knowing her luck, if she went back she'd probably run into that brownrider again. And as much as it would be nice to see him again, it was too dangerous.

The weyrlingmaster frowned suddenly. "What brought on this sudden realization? Did something happen the other day?"

"No! Nothing! Everything went perfectly fine."

"Then why are you blushing?"

Shards! He knew her too well. "It's not easy admitting that I was wrong."

"Mmmmm." Something in his tone told her that he didn't believe her.

"To continue with what I was saying though; I think you should be the one to go to the Mainland."

"No. I haven't been in turns, girl. Send someone else."

"There is no one else." Kayta leaned back in her chair and started counting off riders on her fingers. "Z'char won't. Besides, even if he was sober enough to go, he doesn't have the tact required for this sort of a thing. M'rocav isn't familiar enough with holder customs. M'taren's loyalties are questionable at best, and N'nyal would be distracted by the first pretty boy or shiny object."

"N'nyal has more brains then you'd think."

The Queenrider quirked an eyebrow at him, "You used to go to the Mainland a lot. In fact, that's one of the first places you taught me to go _between_ to."

"Only because you wouldn't leave me alone until I did."

"Don't try to blame that on me. You used to go to long before I ever came around." In fact she even remembered seeing him at her Uncle's hold once or twice when she was younger. "The fact is that you're the only other one who knows how to handle holders, to make trade agreements. And even if things were better, if it was safe for me to go to the Mainland, it's still better that you go. These holds are all up in the hills – they're probably still fairly hide bound and would rather deal with another man than speak to a woman."

"You know as well as I do that there have been a lot of changes since Avias came around. They may be more open to dealing with a woman than you think."

"Just because there have been changes in Pern society like more female holders, crafthallers, and greenriders doesn't mean that everyone agrees with it and would be willing to talk to a female runner about trading with her 'hold'."

N'bel was silent as he bent over the maps again. Kayta studied his expression, hoping that she wouldn't have to resort to plan B and order him to go. While it was within her rights to do so as Weyrwoman, she respected the former Weyrleader too much to pull rank on him like that.

He tapped his fingers on the table top. "You're set on me doing this?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I'll go."

"Thank you," She stood and walked around the table until she was behind his chair, then bent over and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him.

"The things I do for you." He turned his head a bit so he could look her in the eye. "You owe me girl, big time."


	13. Chapter 13

_AN: Finally! A new chapter and not something that's been rewritten 20 times ;) Anywho, this is another one of those inbetween chapters. Nothing much really happens, but it helps to set up the next chapter._

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"Checkmate!" D'rean was far too smug for his own good. He celebrated his victory by dancing around the table, while N'kar stared at the chess board in confusion. How the hell had that happened? He thought he had had the other rider cornered.

"There's no need to yell so loudly about it." Gineara spoke up from her bed where she had been mending riding straps while they played.

"But I won!"

"I know! I'm sure they can hear you all the way at Fort though."

"Good!" D'rean pulled his weyrmate to her feet and swung her around. She rolled her eyes skyward and mouthed an apology to N'kar. The brownrider shrugged; he wasn't the best chess player at Benden, but normally he was the one to win and D'rean was left scratching his head. How the tables had been turned tonight eluded him.

Finally done with his gloating, the bluerider turned back to him and smiled. "Care for another game?"

"Not tonight. I actually have to get up early in the morning."

"Your turn for watch?"

"Even worse; I promised to help the Bayhon at the hold."

"I'm sorry." D'rean winced and started to put the chess set away, wishing N'kar a good night.

The brownrider laughed and wished him a goodnight as well as he pulled his wherhide riding coat on. He exited to the weyrledge, nodding at Joculth and Rhemyth as he passed where they were curled up on Rhemyth's couch. Their eyes glowed in the darkness, two pairs of whirling green orbs.

He was about to call for Elanth when he felt Gineara grab his arm and pull him back inside the weyr. "Is something wrong?"

"I was about to ask you that." She sighed then bit her lip. "I noticed that you've been out of it lately, and I just wanted to make sure that you're okay."

N'kar tried to give her a reassuring smile, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You missed grabbing a firestone sack during drills, and now D'rean beats you at chess…"

"Yes. I'm sure."

"How's your family?"

"My family is fine."

"Is everything okay with that runner girl of yours?"

"I wouldn't know. I haven't heard from her in a week." He watched her sharply, wondering how much D'rean had told her about Kai.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be... She was just a girl that I met once or twice. What's that old saying? There are other fish in the sea?" He tried to play it off like he didn't think about her every other minute. Thankfully Gineara fell for it and smiled despite her suspicions that something wasn't right with the brownrider. "Stop worrying so much – everything is fine. But I won't be fine if I don't get some sleep soon."

"Alright. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Gineara."

Elanth was waiting for him on the weyrledge. N'kar blinked in surprise, _I hadn't called you yet._

_It was boring on my ledge_, the dragon twisted his head to look at his rider, _I came down to talk to Rhemyth and her blue, but they are too wrapped around each other to notice me._

Even more stunning than the brown's sudden initiative was the longing in his voice. It took his rider a minute to identify it. It was a strange mix of desire and frustration; the same feelings he experienced whenever he thought of Kai. He stood there for a second, totally at a loss at how to continue. Elanth normally just took off after a green without any warning; he wasn't one to preen and flirt. _I'm sure there will be a flight sometime soon..._

_I do not want one of the greens here; I want the big green I met at the gather. _

Again, N'kar found that he didn't know what to say. When he had found out about the hidden Weyr the week before, it had occurred to him that the strange dragons from the gather may be a part of it. He groaned; that stupid Weyr had been on his mind a lot lately. He knew he should tell R'nahl and the Weyrleaders about it, but he didn't want to approach them until he had more information, and a picture from a firelizard was not enough to go off of when the renegade dragons could be hiding anywhere. He wanted more information first, but the only person who he could get that information from had disappeared.

She had been haunting his thoughts recently as well. Was Kai a part of the Weyr willingly? Or had she been kidnapped and forced into working for them? Based on the bruises he had seen, and how skittish she had been around other riders, he was inclined to think that it was the later.

There was a low murmur from inside Gineara's weyr and a high pitched giggle. N'kar chuckled as he climbed up on Elanth's back; D'rean hadn't wasted any time taking advantage of his early departure. _Have we had any visitors?_

The dragon fell off of the ledge, spread his wings and glided up to their own weyr. _No, the little one has not come back._

Of course she hadn't sent her firelizard back. He didn't know why he kept asking. She probably hadn't even bothered to open the note he had sent in reply, the one wanting to know if he could see her again, and had left it lying next to some runner trace, or in the sand on that spectacular beach. Maybe she was ignoring him in fear of the others finding out. He dismounted from Elanth and hung up his riding harness as soon as the brown had shrugged out of it.

He waited until Elanth had curled up on his couch, then dimmed the glows and crawled into his own bed. Hopefully sleep would come quickly tonight.

It was only a candlemark past daybreak when Elanth woke N'kar up the next morning. The brownrider had not gotten much sleep, having spent most of the night staring at his ceiling and wondering how to fix the renegade Weyr problem, and debated about trying to stay in bed a little longer and just timing it to the family hold instead. Elanth, however, felt that he could sleep more once whatever Bayhon had in store for them was done. N'kar reluctantly got dressed, grumbling to himself about dragons who were almost as bad as mothers and holders who insisted on starting their days before the sun rose.

Soon they were in the air and N'kar gave his dragon the reference points. They came out of between to find that Southern Boll was still in darkness and Belor was only just beginning to set. Thankfully the beast hold doors where open, the glow light from them spilling out onto the yard. Elanth landed neatly in the small space, and N'kar slid down the dragon's side to find that his brother in law was already waiting for him. The holder grunted a greeting and the brownrider followed him into the kitchen where his mother and Selema were making breakfast. He greeted them and eagerly accepted the cup of klah that his sister pressed into his hands.

Selema offered N'kar an apologetic grimace as Bayhon mumbled something about feeding the animals and stormed back outside. "Don't mind him; he's only grumpy because one our fences broke. We were able to get most of the heardbeasts back but there's still 20 missing."

So that was why the holder had wanted their help so badly. And here N'kar had assumed he had been so polite in the message because he planned to have his dragonrider relation bundling hay or something equally labor intensive. "Dragon eyes certainly would be helpful in that type of a search."

"Bayhon would never abuse his connection to you or Elanth like that!"

Her brother smiled at her, knowing full well that his brother in law was just the sort of man to do that. "I don't mind helping out. I just hope he doesn't expect to start his search soon; Elanth can only see so much in the dark."

Unfortunately Bayhon did expect to start searching for the herdbeasts as soon as his brother in law arrived at the hold. Selema, however, had put her foot down before N'kar had had a chance to say no and insisted that the holder wait until dawn. She had pointed out that as the moons had already set there was not any light to see by, and not only would he be risking his own limbs by going climbing around the hills in the dark, but that of his men as well.

N'kar took his klah and quickly left the kitchen before an argument exploded between the two. He exited the beast hold proper and leaned against the wall next to the heavy metal door, watching as some of the journeymen herders went about their chores. The quiet was a bit bizarre after the controlled chaos of Benden, yet having some sort of a place like this for himself after thread ended was oddly appealing.

Bayhon came outside and started organizing his fellow holders and herders as soon as the sky started to turn gray. N'kar watched from a distance, then mounted Elanth again and had him fly in the direction that Bayhon had pointed out to them. The area was hilly and covered with small shrubs and trees. A few avians took off as they flew over, nearly colliding with Elanth in their attempt to escape him.

They were able to locate most of the herdbeasts before midday; however, N'kar quickly realized that getting them back to the hold would be a problem. While having Elanth dive at them would be more than enough incentive to get them moving, he was too big to effectively control the herd. Also they ran the risk of startling the beasts so bad that they might run off in the wrong direction, or fall into a ditch and kill themselves. Picking up the herdbeasts and flying them in would have been the easiest option, but Bayhon balked at the idea, saying that it would terrify them and put them off their feed.

N'kar wasn't a herder and had no interest in herdbeasts besides the fact that they tasted good roasted and Elanth liked them young. They looked like simple creatures to him, and he felt that they would forget their scare fairly easily. However he agreed to shuttle some of Bayhon's men in for them to herd the stupid animals back to the Beast hold.

Four animals remained missing though; probably eaten by thread or by some other predator. Despite the loss, Bayhon seemed relieved on the flight back from where they had corralled the animals. "While I hate to lose any - 4 is better than losing all 20 head."

The brownrider just grunted in acknowledgement. He made a mental note to find a herder or farmer to partner with for After, or maybe he would get lucky and catch the eye of a pretty journeyman herder. Again he found his thoughts drifting to Kai, and he had to restrain himself from growling in frustration lest Bayhon take offense and think it was directed at him.

Damn that girl and the situation she had gotten him into!


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's note: Told you I'd probably add more to this - and sure enough I did :) Now with new ending, added 2/26/10. Also, a lot of the other chapters have been tweaked, uh, a couple of months ago, so if you haven't gone back and reread them yet, I would highly suggest it. - AS  
_

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Elanth landed further away from the hold this time so as not to kick up dirt on the laundry hanging from the windows and in the yard. A lithe form ran out of the hold and was heading towards them before the brown dragon's feet even touched the ground. "He's here!"

N'kar shook his head in amusement; it had only been a month or so since Sakina had seen him at the gather. He knew she missed him but here was no reason for her to be this worked up about his arrival. His younger sister completely ignored him though, and grabbed Bayhon's arm as soon as the he had dismounted. "He's here. He arrived just a few minutes ago."

"Shards!" The holder had paled visibly. "Is Selema entertaining him?"

"In the kitchen."

"Good. Hopefully she can keep him in there for a bit longer. I can't go in there looking like this!" Bayhon took off towards the hold doors at a brisk trot.

Sakina started to follow him, but N'kar slid down from Elanth and quickly grabbed her arm to stop her. "What's going on? Has the lord holder or one of his men come to pay a visit?"

"No! A man came to visit two sevendays ago, a small holder from up farther in the hills…"

"Alright."

"Apparently his brother had talked to Bayhon at the gather, and the brother had told him that we might have a surplus and might be interested in trading. He wasn't supposed to come for another sevenday, but he's showed up early." She was excited and grabbed his hands, squeezing them tightly and bouncing in place. "He, the holder, is offering us marks for some of the herdbeasts. Real marks! Not seed, or a trade, but marks!"

"And he is related to the holder from the gather?" The only holder who had talked to Bayhon that day, at least according to Selema, was the man who had been in Kai's traveling party. Knowing what he did now, the brownrider had a feeling that all of the men in that group were either renegade dragonriders – which meant that the man sitting in his sister's kitchen was probably one of them as well.

Maybe he knew Kai.

"That's what he claims." Sakina noticed her brother's serious expression and frowned. "N'kar, what is it?"

"Nothing." He dropped her hands and leaned back against Elanth. _Can you sense any other dragons about?_

_There is something, I do not know what it is though._ The brown shook his head back and forth, his eyes whirling in bright oranges and yellows. _I can hear it, but I can't understand it. Why can't I understand it?_

_Strange._ N'kar was torn between going with Elanth to find this thing, and staying to meet this man his family thought so highly of. If the presence turned out to be a dragon, trapping the dragon might be a way to drag out the rider. However, what if they tried to fight? He didn't want to see Elanth attacking another dragon, even if it was a renegade. No, it would be best to talk to the man first and decide what to do from there.

He rubbed the brown's shoulder.

Sakina was watching him with worried eyes. "N'kar?"

"Mmhmm?"

"Are you sure everything is fine?"

"Yes." She flinched at his tone, and he sighed. He draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sorry. Tell me more about this holder; is he from Tillek? High Reaches?"

"He's from another hold here in Boll. He hasn't told us where though." N'kar quirked his eyebrow at that and Sakina quickly started to defend the holder again. "He's not refusing to tell us; it's just never come up in conversation, y'know? Selema was worried at first - she didn't want to barter with him if he wouldn't tell us the hold he's from - but Bayhon doesn't think it's a problem since he's paying us in marks."

Good old Selema! At least someone in the family still had sense! "Are the marks good?"

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"Marks can be counterfeited." Now that he thought about it, it occurred to him that counterfeiting actually wouldn't be that hard to do since marks were just a sliver of wood. "Or they could be stolen."

"Bayhon believes they're good. Besides Nirybel would never do that."

"How do you know? You've only just met him a few sevendays ago."

His sister pushed away from him and glared up at him with her arms crossed over her chest. "I trust my instincts, and they tell me that he's a good man."

"Are these the same instincts that got you lost in the Weyr that one day coming back from your Harper lessons?" N'kar quirked an eyebrow at her and she blushed. "He may be a good man, but he still could be lying for all you know."

"Like that runner?"

"What does she have to do with this?"

"She was lying, and you knew it and still trusted her."

N'kar froze; it was a bit strange that Sakina would bring that up now. Did she know that he had seen Kai since the gather? But there was no way for her to find out about that. "She was hiding something. Not lying."

"Same difference."

"Regardless of if she was or not, she's not in a position to hurt this hold – that man in the kitchen is." She didn't respond, just continued to glare at him and N'kar ran a hand through his hair in irritation. He had forgotten how stubborn she could be when she put her mind to it, and was growing rapidly tired of their argument. Why did all the women in his life have to be so frustrating? Why couldn't they be nice and docile and not drive him up a tree? His stomach began to grumble and it occurred to him that he hadn't eaten since dawn, Benden time. "Am I allowed to grab a meatroll or two? Or have I been banished from the hold completely?"

"No, no, no, of course not – but maybe it would be best if you stayed out here. I don't think Bayhon will appreciate his bartering with Nirybel being interrupted."

"If they're still in the kitchen then Bayhon's an even greater fool than I thought." Their mother was probably talking the prospective trader's ear off right now, and his brother in law might actually welcome their interruption. The brownrider started to walk up to the hold and Sakina hurried to catch up with him - trying to stop him by jumping in front of him and promising that she could get the meatrolls and bring out Selema and their mother to say goodbye. While he was just able to step around her and continue on, it occurred to N'kar that having someone do that to you was actually very annoying. No wonder Kai had been in such a foul mood that day.

Soon the Beast Hold doors were in sight. N'kar paused in the hall and pursed his lips; he could hear voices drifting down the corridor that lead to the kitchen. He turned to head down it, only to find his sister blocking his path with her hands on her hips. He sized her up, wondering how he could get her to step aside, and quickly realized that she was shorter than Kai by nearly a foot. If he had been able to throw the runner in the toss dance, then moving Sakina out of the way would be no problem at all. Sakina opened her mouth – about to start in on something again – but was interrupted before she could speak a word; "What is going on here?"

Both N'kar and Sakina looked over to find Selema standing just a few feet away, her expression both amused and furious at the same time. It was a look N'kar had seen on his Mother once or twice when he was younger, and come to think of it, Weyrwoman Lessa when he had been sent off to face her as a weyrling when the Weyrlingmaster couldn't think of any more punishments. Malena had also gotten that look down pat. Maybe there was some secret training that women got after a certain age.

"Oh, we were just having a foot race. I won, but you know how Sakina's a sore looser." He got an elbow to the ribs in response to his lie.

"Sakina! Such behaviour! And when Nirybel is here too!" Selema shook a finger at the girl, chiding her – yet another art the Brownrider was sure that women learned only when they had the responsibility of a hold, Weyr, or children thrust on them. "I would expect more maturity from a girl your age."

"I didn't do anything! He was the one who was going to interrupt Bayhon and Nirybel!"

"All I wanted was a meatroll and to say goodbye to my dear mother and sister before I left." Selema raised an eyebrow at that and N'kar cursed silently. Now she knew he was up to something like Sakina was claiming. Maybe using 'dear' in the same sentence as 'mother' had been a bit over the top. However, instead of scolding him as well, Selema just shook her head and smiled.

"You're in luck; Mother just put a batch of meatrolls in the ovens while you all were out in the fields." She nudged Sakina out of the way with her hip, and N'kar followed her quickly before the younger girl tried to block the passageway again.

Inside the kitchen, the hold's lone drudge was setting the table with a midday meal. It was coarse fair; tubers and cheese, the meatrolls Selema had promised him, and a chilled pitcher of some fruit cider. His mother sat at the end of the table next to a strange man, talking his ear off like N'kar had known she would, while Bayhon tried to interrupt every other sentence, only to fail miserably at separating his guest from his in law.

The man, whom N'kar could only assume was Nirybel, looked to be about F'lar's age. His hair was blonde though, where the Weyrleader's was black, and his eyes where a piercing blue instead of molten amber. His nose was a bit on the big side, crooked, like it had been broken once or twice, and his cheeks were scarred heavily with minor burns. The brownrider wasn't sure if that was because maybe the man had been a smith at one time, or if the scars were from thread ash. He was more inclined to believe the later; while the man was tall and in decent shape for his age, he didn't have the bulky arms of a smith.

_Can you still not sense anything?_ He queried Elanth again.

_It is louder now, clearer... _The dragon sighed_._

_I know it is hard, but try to speak to it. _

The strange man seemed to sense something and looked straight at him at the same time Elanth said, _It replied! At least I think it replied. I still do not understand it, but it said something after I tried to talk to it._

Interesting. Maybe his earlier assumptions had been right then and Nirybel was linked to the presence Elanth had detected earlier.

N'kar's mother followed the man's gaze and smiled at her son, "There you are! I was just telling Nirybel about you."

"So this is your son the Wingsecond then?"

"Brownrider N'kar of Benden Weyr."

"Holder Nirybel." Nirybel nodded a greeting.

"Really? Of which hold?" The words were out of N'kar's mouth before he had a chance to stop them.

"We... haven't settled on one yet. I felt that it was more important to have a safe place for my people to sleep than to worry about a silly name."

"But you had told me that your family hold had been around for generations." Bayhon looked confused and Selema frowned.

"It has, it has. I've only recently set out on my own." The older man gave him a reassuring smile. "Not to worry friend, my hold may still be new but our marks are still good and there are plenty of them."

"I wasn't aware that Southern Boll had given permission for a new hold to open up." N'kar continued before Bayhon had a chance to say anything. In fact, he wasn't aware of there being any open land on the Northern Continent at all.

"The last time I checked, Southern Boll was under Fort Weyr's jurisdiction – not Benden's, so it's not a wonder that you haven't heard about it yet Brownrider."

"True, but it's always good to know what holds are out there, just in case. Transfers between Weyr's do happen occasionally, Holder."

"Yes, of course. Y'know, I've never had a chance to talk to a dragonrider - I always imagined that you all would be too busy fighting thread to drop in on your family like this – do you manage to visit often?"

"Not as much as I would like." N'kar admitted and the other man's expression turned triumphant – only to falter as soon as the brownrider continued. "I have friends who are riders for Fort though. They keep an eye on things for me when they ride watch."

"I see." He drummed his fingers on the tabletop.

"So how is your daughter doing?" Sakina interrupted. She slipped around N'kar and sat down on Nirybel's right hand side, giving him a sweet smile. N'kar frowned, what in Faranth's name was she doing flirting with such an old man?

_She is thinking that even if he is old, he has his own hold and is not too bad of a catch._

N'kar frowned. He would rather see his sister end up with someone her own age – and preferably not a renegade rider. Of course, she would never listen to his warnings after earlier, and even if she did, he had no proof except for the fact that Nirybel had seemed to sense when Elanth had tried to make contact with what they assumed was the man's dragon.

How, by Faranth, was he going to proceed from here? Call in reinforcements? He hadn't told anyone else about what the firelizard had shown Elanth. However, the only way he could see this being resolved was if he had help from the Weyr. With more dragons they could easily corner the presence in the woods and subdue it and more riders would help restrain the man at the table. He sighed - R'nahl would not be happy that he had held out him, but it was better late than never.

The dragonrider reached out to his brown to have him relay a message to Xanth, but before he could put his request together the brown interrupted him; _Listen!_

"Oh, she's fine. She hasn't had a headache in quite a while now... and you can barely see the bruises on her arms anymore."

"She's such a brave girl to defend her hold like that."

Bruises? Arms? N'kar's thoughts immediately jumped to Kai. It had occurred to him that the 'holder' might know of the runner, but he hadn't really believed that he would be that lucky. He knew he should still have Elanth call for R'nahl, however maybe there was still a way for him to reach her, to get her someplace safe, before news of the hidden weyr got out. How to get the renegade to deliver a message to her though?

_I do not think he would give her any message for you, but maybe if you mentioned her name, he would tell her that he had seen you?_

_I don't want to get the girl in trouble._ Chances where that this was the same man who had given her the bruises in the first place.

_But if she got in trouble because of you, maybe she would seek you out to complain?_

_I think you give Kai too much credit._

_You said yourself her fear of you was just pretend. And she is strong. And she has a temper. You saw that yourself. Why wouldn't she send the little one to find you, if you telling the man you had met her got her in trouble? You could arrange a meeting then, and we could take her back to the Weyr with us. _

That could work. However, what would happen if Nyribel did decide to abuse Kai again? What if she were locked away or worse...

_I do not think the man will hurt her. I do not think he has ever hurt her. Why would he use her as a part of his cover if he had?_

_Bad men do weird things sometimes. _

_I am glad that you are not a bad man._

_I could never be a bad man with a dragon like you, even with a family like mine. _N'kar gave a mental sigh, his dragon was too smart for his own good sometimes. _Alright, oh smart one, what do we do about R'nahl and the Weyrleaders then? Not calling them in now will only delay the scolding we are going to get later._

_I would rather have to fly watches in Igen later, than fight against another dragon. And if we get the girl, she could help us when we talk to the Weyrleaders. Then you can fly her, as I will fly the big green, and she will forget about any trouble you may have gotten her into. _

_I doubt it will work like that._

_Why not?_

_Girls are not like Greens, and do not forget things so easily._ The dragonman chuckled to himself, earning another glare from Sakina. He just shook his head in response. "I'm sorry, Elanth said something funny."

His sister rolled her eyes. "Weren't you going to just get some meatrolls and go?"

"I was and I will." He glanced at the 'holder' sitting next to her. "This girl who has these bruises – is she about so tall..." He marked off a distance from the floor with his hand that was about Kai's height. "Brown hair? Brown eyes?"

Nirybel visibly tensed. "Yes. Why? We didn't report the loss to anyone – so there is no way a dragonrider would know of it – unless you would were involved somehow."

All eyes landed on N'kar. His family knew he would not steal from a holder – why would he when the Weyrs where well supplied by tithes? - but with an insult so obvious, they expected the brownrider to take offense and demand satisfaction like any normal man would. He gave the other man a cold smile instead. "There was a runner I ran into about a fortnight or so ago over near a Holdless camp in Bitra. Pretty girl by the name of Kai. She had bruises like what you described."

"That would be my girl alright." The man said from behind clenched teeth. A tick had started to twitch on his scarred cheek.

"I wouldn't expect that a loving father such as yourself would send his daughter on a run like that when she was so badly injured."

"I didn't send her. I was going to send one of the other boys..."

"Ah. Well she does seem like the headstrong type."

"Yes. A very stubborn girl. You have no idea the amount of sleep I loose over some of the stuff she pulls."

N'kar laughed, remembering the restless nights he had lost since meeting Kai. "Oh, I don't doubt it. Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Nirybel, I must be on my way now."

"But what about those meatrolls you wanted?" Sakina was glaring again. At this rate her face would freeze with that pouty look on it.

"Oh, I'll just get something back at the Weyr." He stepped around the table to give his mother a quick peck on the cheek. "It was good to see you again. Until later." Then he nodded at his sisters and Bayhon and strode from the room. As soon as he was out of sight and hearing range of the others, he dropped into a run that carried him all the way through the entrance of the hold and to where Elanth was waiting for him. He jumped up the brown dragon's shoulder and directed him to take off, asking him to hover just behind the hold out of sight of the entrance.

A few minutes later the figure of Nirybel came walking out of the hold doors, Bayhon following closely behind him. Even though N'kar was too far away to hear what the holder was saying, his arms were waving agitatedly, but the renegade just ignored him and continued walking. Eventually Bayhon gave up and stood there, watching as the older man's figure disappeared down the road.

_Should we follow?_ Elanth twisted his head around to gaze at his rider.

_No_. Hovering was one thing. Following Nirybel discreetly would be almost impossible on a brown the size of his dragon.

_We could ask Rhemyth. She is small._

_They are on patrol today. Besides, he will not leave immediately; he will probably wait until darkness until he does. I don't think you want to spend the rest of your day and night hovering do you? _

The dragon grumbled that no, he would not – he preferred a bath and a wherry for dinner instead.

Below, Selema and Sakina had come outside, and where having a conference with Bayhon in the yard. Slowly, Selema guided her dejected husband back inside. N'kar sighed to himself, he hated to be the reason that Bayhon's hold would not earn more marks this year, but he reassured himself silently that they already did well enough without trading. He slapped his dragon's neck and gave him the coordinates for home, missing the scowl his youngest sister gave him from the ground and the look from where Nirybel watched farther on down the road.


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note: Holy crap! An update! I'm sorry that this took so long to get out there, but real life interfered (like it does) big time over the past few months. I haven't tweaked or rewritten any of the previous chapters recently, but since it has been so long since I last updated, I would still recommend going back and rereading the story. _

_I do not own the Dragonriders of Pern - it belongs to Anne McCaffrey._

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R'nahl was not in his weyr when N'kar returned to Benden, and, instead of taking his rider directly to where the wingleader was, like N'kar had asked, Elanth elected to land in front of the entrance to the dining cavern instead. _You are hungry, you must eat._

_I am fine,_ The brownrider could easily ignore the grumbling sounds his stomach was making for a while longer. _Take me to R'nahl, please. _

The dragon gave himself a strong shake. It was forceful enough to cause his rider to loose his grip on the riding straps and slide half way off his neck, but not so violent that he fell to the ground. N'kar hung there for a moment, feeling royally embarrassed that he had not been able to hold on when he had been able to handle some of the maneuvers the brown pulled during threadfall with much more grace. Elanth turned his head around to stare at his rider with one whirling eye. _It will not do if you pass out in front of the Weyrleaders because you are hungry._

_And why do you think they will be involved in this?_ N'kar asked and then corrected himself. Of course they would be involved, on top of the whole other Weyr issue, he had sharded up things badly by not coming forward with his information sooner.

_Eat. _

_Alright! Alright!_ N'kar dismounted the rest of the way and gave the brown an affection slap on the leg. _I'll eat._

Elanth snorted at him, but took off to his weyr ledge, showering his rider with sand as he left him standing alone in the weyrbowl. N'kar watched him for a moment, then turned towards the dining cavern. The smells drifting from the kitchen were tantalizing, making his mouth water in anticipation. He didn't get far though - R'nahl was waiting for him at the entrance to the lower caverns with an agitated look on his face. He handed the brownrider a rolled up scroll that he had been tapping against his thigh. "Care to tell me what the meaning of this is?"

N'kar frowned to himself; was it from Kai? Had the renegade already returned to whatever Weyr he had come from and had told Kai about what happened? Was she in trouble? But her firelizard knew what he looked like, and would have come straight to him, not R'nahl, if that were the case... or so he hoped. He opened the scroll and promptly relaxed a little when he recognized Sakina's handwriting. His jaw dropped in surprise though when he saw what she had written. "She is accusing me of interfering with their hold."

"Specifically of chasing off a trader who had made an agreement with Holder Bayhon." R'nahl was still frowning. No doubt, N'kar suspected, he was remembering their encounter with the Bitran Lord Holder. "I thought you were just going to assist with recovering some lost herdbeasts?"

"I was and I did." N'kar crumpled the paper in his hand, then promptly smoothed it out again; while paper was more plentiful nowadays it was still too precious to waste. "I was planning to stay around for lunch afterwards, but a holder had shown up while we were gone..."

"And did you interfere?" R'nahl interrupted. Before his wingsecond could say anything else he quickly continued, "By Faranth! Have you gone mad, man?"

N'kar grabbed his fellow dragonrider's arm and pulled him away from the entrance of the lower caverns. R'nahl jerked away, but followed him to one of the nearby ground level weyrs that was kept open for injured dragons. "Look, the man wasn't who he claimed to be! I just want to keep my family safe."

The wingleader's expression softened a little at that. "We all want to keep our families safe, but your duty is to this Weyr and all of Pern first - and this... this could cause so many problems especially as Bayhon's hold is outside of our jurisdiction. If the weyrleaders or the lord holders find out..."

"I believe the man may have been a dragonrider."

"What?"

"Remember when we ran into Kai in Bitra?"

"She would figure into this somehow." R'nahl snorted.

N'kar ignored that and continued, "You had a theory she might be involved with some of the thefts the minor holds where reporting."

"Right - which is why I wanted you to take her to her hold, so we could see exactly where she lived and would be able to find her later. But you disobeyed me."

"She wouldn't have gone near the dragons."

"You expect me to believe that after only meeting her twice you know what she would or wouldn't have done?"

"I know that she would have put up a fight. How would you have liked it when she sicked her firelizard on you? Or what if she threw a fit and burst into tears? You can barely stand it when Malena or Ginaera cry over a bad threadscore... how would you have handled that?" The bronzerider didn't respond but glared at him, his blue eyes suddenly as hard as ice. N'kar knew that he did not appreciate how he had handled things that day. He had thought that the one or two discussions they had had since had settled it, but apparently R'nahl was still sore about it. He ran a hand through his hair nervously, knowing that if his wingleader was still upset about that, he wouldn't like what he had to tell him any more. "Regardless of what may or may not have happened, it's over and done with. I know you wanted to know where she was from though, so I asked her to send her firelizard to me after to let me know she had gotten home safely. I figured we could get a picture off of him just as easily as if we had taken her there ourselves, with out the fuss and headaches. Surprisingly, she kept her promise; her blue showed up in my weyr that night and I asked Elanth to find out where they came from. He showed Elanth this island Weyr..."

His wingleader froze. "Ista?"

"Ista isn't on the beach like this one was."

"And you didn't tell me about this sooner because?" R'nahl drawled out the last word.

"Unfortunately, the image wasn't clear like I thought it would be, so I couldn't get any good coordinates off of it."

"And I imagine that damn runner probably had something to do with it, too." The wingleader shook his head, but in the dimming light it was hard for N'kar to tell if it was because he was frustrated or resigned. "You should have told me from the beginning!"

"I know!"

"Then why didn't you? I realize that we have been friends since our dragons eggs cracked, but that does not give you the right to take liberties like this..."

"That is not the situation at all..."

"Then what is the situation, N'kar?" R'nahl slapped a hand against the rock wall. "Did you get hit by a firestone sack during the last fall and somehow addle your brains? Or are you just so desperate that you'll do anything for a piece of that runners ass?"

N'kar had to wrap his hands around his belt and take a deep breath. It was all he could do not to take a swing at the other man. "My feelings for her have nothing to do with this."

"Obviously they do or you would have told me sooner. As I mentioned earlier, brownrider, your duties to this Weyr and Pern come before any other relationships... familial or otherwise. You were made aware of a situation where a renegade rider has been taking advantage of holders, endangering our position. You had information regarding this and failed to mention it so that we could take the necessary steps to stop this man. I should demote you for insubordination." He drummed his fingers against the wall. "However, V'lin is still too young, and D'rean... is... well, D'rean... and despite your idiotic actions as of late, you're the only one I trust enough to be my wingsecond, so I won't."

"Thank you, Wingleader."

"That doesn't mean you're safe from punishment though. I expect you to help the weyrlings get the firestone sacks ready on top of your other prefall duties for the next fortnight. You'll also take any late watch rides our wing is assigned for that period of time as well, and no gathers for at least a month."

"Yes sir." Better to pack firestone than clean latrines.

"Now, back to today, how did you figure that this trader was another rider?"

"According to Sakina he had heard of their hold from his brother who had talked to Bayhon back at the Southern Boll gather. The only man I remember talking to Bayhon was one of Kai's traveling companions - since she is from this renegade weyr, then I felt it was safe to assume that her friends and this man must be associated with it as well. So I had Elanth see if he could sense something... he picked up on another dragon in the area, but he couldn't understand it."

"That's not possible; Dragons are always aware of each other."

"Are they?" N'kar let go of his belt and crossed his arms over his chest. "If our dragons where able to sense other dragons then why didn't we learn about this Weyr sooner? Our dragons would have keened the minute one of theirs passed away, but they haven't. The only dragons and riders we've mourned have been ones from Weyrs we are familiar with. What if dragons are only able to talk to other dragons they know about because they've either seen the dragon, or we tell them the dragon is there? Much like they only know how to go between because we show them where to go to or because it's a place we've shown them."

"This still doesn't explain how Elanth wasn't able to understand the other dragon though."

"Didn't Avias say that there had been a shift in our language since the settlers first landed? Maybe this is the same sort of thing."

"Then how are you able to communicate with Kai, or this 'trader'?"

"What if Kai is Malena's friend? She would have been raised on the mainland so she would know our dialect. As for the trader, I don't know. He didn't have any sort of an accent that I noticed." The bronzerider gave him a skeptical look. N'kar shrugged in response. "It's just a theory. There could be something completely different going on for all we know."

R'nahl sighed, "I don't suppose you happen to stay long enough to confirm that the man was a dragonrider visually?"

"No. I didn't think he would go immediately back to his dragon, and, if he did, I didn't want to be in danger of having a dragon on dragon fight."

"You could have called for back up."

"I could have, but would the man have actually talked if we had questioned him? Or what if we did manage to get at least his dragon to cooperate? What would we have done then? We can't just randomly show up at this other Weyr without some sort of a plan."

"What do you propose we do then?"

"I don't know." N'kar ran a hand through his hair, knowing that R'nahl would not like the suggestion he was about to make. "I had thought, that maybe Kai might be working with the renegades against her will..."

"If she had been then why didn't she try to escape? She had the opportunity to at Bitra."

"What if she is Malena's friend? I'm sure Malena would appreciate it if..."

"Stop right now." The bronzerider cut him off. "I don't care if she is Malena's friend or not anymore. She's a renegade, and further involvement with her will only get you in more trouble. Let. It. Go." He tapped his wingsecond's chest to emphasize his words. "Now, let's go see the Weyrleaders. We need to tell them what you've learned."


	16. Chapter 16

_AN: So, I hate to introduce a new character this late in the game, especially one that seems to be an example of a deus ex machina - but he isn't. He's a person from Malena's, Gineara's, and Kayta's past that will be featured more in the prequel, whenever I get around to writing that (which probably won't be for another year or two at this rate :P)_

_Enjoy! And remember, to review is love!_

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The Weyrleaders quarters where situated next to the Hatching Grounds. They were only a short walk away from the Lower Caverns, however, every step that brought them closer to where Ramoth sunned on her ledge felt like N'kar was taking one step closer to his doom. He blamed the sensation on his weyrling years, when, once or twice, he had been dragged before the Weyrleaders for this or that prank gone wrong - pranks that were usually R'nahl's idea. At the time he had thought that F'nor, the Weyrlingmaster, was the scariest thing when he was angry, but had quickly learned that Lessa's fury was ten times worse. N'kar had avoided the Weyrwoman whenever possible ever since.

R'nahl slowed down so that he fell into step next to N'kar. "The faster we get there, the quicker this will be over with."

"Yes, sir."

"I may want to throttle you right now, but I'm not going to throw you to the wherries. The punishment has been dealt. There's no need for the Weyrleaders to get involved with that side of things. We'll just tell them what they need to know, and won't mention when you discovered this or how long it took you to tell me about it."

"How are you not terrified of her?"

"Oh, I am."

"That's not exactly reassuring." N'kar smiled to himself at the absurdity of the situation; here were two dragonmen, who fought thread on a regular basis, shivering in their boots because of a tiny Weyrwoman.

They took the steps to Lessa's weyr two at a time, nodding at Benden's great golden queen as they passed her. "Xanth says that Ramoth says that the Weyrleaders are in the council room." The bronzerider frowned. "Xanth says they have company."

For a split second, N'kar worried that the renegade rider had followed him back to the Weyr. However, no strange dragons had been spotted in the sky over Benden, and why would the renegade turn himself in anyways? He doubted that his contact with the rider earlier had been enough to scare that Weyr straight. If anything it had probably scared the renegades back into hiding.

The man sitting at the massive table was just a holder though, not another dragonrider. He glanced up at their entrance and smiled as he recognized the bronzerider. "R'nahl, I trust you're treating my cousins well?"

"Weyrwoman Lessa, F'lar," The Bronzerider nodded at the Weyrleaders first and then turned his attention to the holder. "They're doing well, Preben. Ginaera has taken to weyrlife quite well and Malena is..."

"Malena."

"I trust there is a reason for this interruption, Wingleader?" Lessa was frowning at them.

"Yes, we had some news regarding the recent... issues... you asked us to keep an ear out for, but if this is a bad time..." Even though he knew the other man, R'nahl was clearly caught off guard by such a small holder having an audience with two of the most important people on Pern and was unsure if he should mention the thefts in front of him.

"Actually, Holder Preben was just discussing that problem with us." F'lar spoke up. N'kar was surprised by the Weyrleader's tired expression. He reminded himself that the man had been fighting Thread for the past 30 years of his life, and that he would be lucky if he survived that long. "What have you learned?"

"The raiding is being done by renegade dragonriders like we believed, however, they aren't from one of our Weyrs."

"We are aware of that."

"... You are, sir?"

"Yes. Malena's father, Deln, has been... unwell for several months now so I've been running Blue Vale in his stead." Preben explained, encouraged by Lessa's reassuring nod. "Deln has always kept meticulous records of everything that happens at the Hold. There are scrolls upon scrolls regarding this field being planted, the weather that day, who was sick, and so on. There are mentions of a bronzerider visiting him multiple times over a span of ten turns, but I didn't recognize his name and Deln never said what Weyr he was from. I flagged down the sweep rider today to see if he might know who this N'bel was, and here I am."

"N'bel?" All eyes turned to N'kar. He frowned; he hadn't realized that he had spoken out loud.

"Do you know him?"

"There was a holder visiting my brother in law today by the name of Nirybel. He had some suspicious scars on his face - they looked like threadscores."

Lessa glanced at F'lar. "Nirybel could be shortened to N'bel. Did Elanth sense another dragon in the area?"

The brownrider didn't feel comfortable bringing up the other dragon in front of the holder but both Weyrleaders were looking at him expectantly. "He said he could sense something, but he couldn't understand it."

"That's impossible!"

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Lessa." R'nahl nodded at N'kar. "We have some theories about that, but they'll probably bore Preben to death. Also, there's more to the story. There was a girl, a runner, that N'kar met recently and her firelizard showed Elanth a picture of a Weyr that neither of us recognized. That's why we came to speak to you, to let you know about this development."

"When none of the other Weyrleaders remembered a N'bel, I assumed that there must be another Weyr out there that we didn't know about. But where, and why?" F'lar's amber eyes flashed brightly. N'kar believed that he must be remembering the dark days when the current pass first started and before the Oldtimers came forward. An extra Weyr would have been greatly appreciated.

"The Weyr the firelizard showed Elanth was on an island, but that was the most I could make out. It wasn't enough to go between on."

"We could question this runner, she may know more about this Weyr and may be able to give us better coordinates."

"Finding her again has proven to be nearly impossible, Weyrwoman."

"Since this girl is our only link to this renegade Weyr, then I would recommend finding her and bringing her in. As much as I detest the creatures, perhaps you could borrow one of your wingmate's firelizards and have it seek the girl out."

"Most of my other riders only have blues or greens; they're not very reliable for sending messages." R'nahl spoke up.

"Doesn't Malena have a queen firelizard? Or did it run off when she impressed?" Preben asked, looking between the Weyrleaders and R'nahl.

"No, she still has it and I believe it's trained to carry messages too."

Using Malena's firelizard was the last thing N'kar wanted to do. Especially since there was still the chance that Kai could be her missing friend. What if Malena found out where they had sent her pet to and recognized the runner? He could only imagine how she would react. Which, he thought to himself, it would be perfectly understandable if she did throw a fit. Here her friend had possibly been alive all these years, and rather than coming forward, she was hiding out. Though, there was still that chance that she may have been forced to work for this Weyr, and unable to seek her friends out as a result.

"Well, then I suggest you ask her if you can use her firelizard. Let her know that it's for Weyr business."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Are you hungry, Preben? They should be almost ready to serve dinner in the lower caverns."

"I would be honored, Weyrwoman, but I must get back to the hold. They'll be wondering where I disappeared to."

"The watch rider who brought you here should be waiting out in the bowl to take you back." Lessa retreated into her private chambers. Sensing that they had been dismissed, N'kar and R'nahl followed F'lar and the holder out onto the weyr ledge. Surprisingly, Preben did not falter like most non riders did when he saw Ramoth sunning, however he walked down the steps a bit faster than what would be considered normal. N'kar couldn't help but smile to himself; Benden's queen had that effect sometimes.

A thought occured to the brownrider, and he flagged the green weyrling down before the dragon could whisk Preben away. "A quick question for you - you mentioned that Deln had documented this bronzerider visiting him. Did he ever note what their conversations where about?"

"Yes, he did, I don't remember exactly what they discussed, but it usually had something to do with a girl by the name of Kayta."

"Is she still at Blue Vale? Maybe she might know more about N'bel."

"No," Preben shook his head. "She died 7 or 8 turns ago - she was caught out in that fall that you all rescued Gineara and Malena from."

"Ah." N'kar ran a hand through his hair, trying not to let the frustration he was feeling with himself show on his face. Kai could be short for Kayta. He would have to find a way to bring up the girl to Gineara and see if maybe her and Malena's friend had had a nickname. "This Kayta, did she happen to be a runner?"

"How did you know that?"

N'kar shrugged, "Just a lucky guess. Safe travels, holder Preben."

R'nahl waited until the green took off before stepping forward. He narrowed his eyes at his friend. "What are you plotting now?"

"Nothing. Let's go find Malena and get that message sent out."


	17. Chapter 17

_Author's note: I think this is the chapter that just did not want to be written. I actually meant for it to come earlier in the story, but it just didn't fit, and N'kar's part took longer than I was expecting, so it was delayed until now. Then, when I went to go finish it, it seemed like I kept writing myself into corners. However, after a prod from LV3950 in the form of a short little bit, and some help from my beta, I was able to persevere and finally get it finished._

_Things are going to start heating up next chapter! So enjoy and review!_

_~AS_

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Normally Kayta preferred to eat her meals at her weyr or in the records room; it was something that N'bel had decided on when she had first impressed to keep her safe from harm while the Weyrwoman was still alive, and there was still a threat that her dragon could lay another golden egg. Kayta had gone along with it because she didn't like the way the other riders looked at her, or their sneers, or their loud whispers about how dare that piece of runner trash think she could be good enough to their Weyrwoman. After the old queen had passed away, dining alone, with maybe the exception of M'rocav or N'bel for company, had become such a habit that she had continued to avoid the dining cavern unless escorted.

Tonight, though, she felt like the records room walls were closing in on her, and her own weyr offered no relief. It didn't help that she was lonely for human conversation; M'rocav hadn't stopped by to visit in over a week, and she had not seen N'bel since he had gone to the mainland. There was Deranna, but the old woman was hardly a conversationalist, and Berjoui was too busy. So Kayta found her feet carrying her towards the dining cavern when the meal bell rang, Deranna squeaking out a surprised protest as she passed the older woman while crossing the Weyr bowl.

At first her fellow riders ignored her, the only exceptions being the two bronzeriders who had impressed at Lysith's last hatching. They gaped at her for a moment before one of them seemed to remember his manners and jumped up to pull out her chair for her. The noise of the heavy wood feet scraping against the sand covered floor made the cavern go silent and Kayta looked up to find everyone staring at her.

Personally, Kayta had always felt that she was a decent Weyrwoman; she kept the records up to date to the best of her abilities, and, despite the fact that she had missed the issue with the dwindling supplies, they were in much better shape than the previous two Weyrwomen had kept them. She was present at every wingleader meeting even if Z'char yelled at her over it later, and defended the holders like N'bel had asked her to. But tonight, looking out over the tables, she realized that she had failed somewhere. Doing her job right was not enough – if things were going to change she couldn't continue to hide herself away. She had to give her riders an example, and that would never happen if all she did was talk to the same four people and throw temper tantrums behind closed doors.

A part of her wanted to turn and run back to the safety of her weyr, but she forced herself to sit and act as if this was something she had done every day of her life, and just not during special occasions like hatchings. She smiled up at the young bronzerider, "Thank you..."

_W'fiel, rider of bronze Worth_. Lysith supplied before Kayta could ask.

"...W'fiel. How is Worth doing?"

"Very well, ma'am." He grinned, "N'bel says he's the biggest bronze the Weyr has ever had."

"You must be proud." Ma'am? She wasn't that much older than him! Maybe three or four turns at the most.

_He is nervous. Worth says his rider thinks you are very pretty, and it has occurred to him that he has a chance at being Weyrleader someday if Worth catches_ _me._ Lysith snorted to herself, _As if anyone could catch me. _

W'fiel continued to babble on about his bronze and Kayta smiled politely as she listened to him. Maybe if Lementh failed to catch Lysith again, having a young bronze like Worth catch her would be a suitable alternative. His rider was easy on the eyes, polite, and seemed to have some initiative. He had to have, or else why had he jumped up to pull out her chair while his friend continued to stare? Especially given how the other riders felt about her.

_He is nice, but you will boss him around._

_Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing._

_You would get tired of it. Besides, we do not need a Weyrleader. We can lead by ourselves. _

_I do not think the bronzes would take kindly to you flying thread with them._

_The mainlander Queens do it_.

_But they do not lead threadfall like the Weyrleader does._ And with only one queen dragon in the Weyr there was no need for a queen wing like the Mainlanders had. Not to mention Bronzes were protective of their Weyr queen and having her lead threadfall would only cause problems.

The young bronzerider paled a second before Kayta heard the chair next to her be pulled out. She grabbed his arm before he had a chance to run away, forcing him to stay in the seat that he claimed while talking to her, and then turned to face Z'char with the sweetest smile she could muster. "Good evening, Weyrleader."

"Well, look who decided to grace us with her presence tonight." His blue eyes where unusually sharp.

She forced herself to relax and let go of W'fiel. She gave him an apologetic smile, knowing that he might have some bruising from her deathgrip tomorrow. He shrugged as if it was nothing and Kayta's opinion of him went up another notch. She would have to bring up his name to the others and let them know that they might have another who was on their side. "This coming from the man who prefers his wine bottle to commanding the wings."

W'fiel snorted, drawing Z'char's attention. "Who's this? A new recruit?"

Lysith's mind was a rolling cloud of black fury. _If he touches you I will kill him._

_You will stay put! You will not do anything! _Kayta gave the Weyrleader a blank look, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know about your plot to replace me."

"And why would I need to plot to do that? Whenever Lysith flies there is always a chance you will get replaced as Weyrleader, Z'char."

"And yet that hasn't happened yet."

"That doesn't guarantee that it won't happen someday - when a stronger, swifter bronze comes along."

He glanced at W'fiel again as he accepted his trencher of food from one of the drudges and started cutting into the meat. Kayta eyed it, wondering where the cook had managed to find enough wherries to feed the Weyr. "I'm not the only one who can be replaced. There is always a chance that Lysith will lay a golden egg, and once her daughter hatches and Lysith isn't the only Queen dragon anymore... well... "

"Well, what?"

"The Weyr is a dangerous place... accidents can happen, especially during threadfall or one of your trips to the Mainland."

Knowing how her dragon would react to his words, Kayta reached out to the golden queen. The last thing they needed was for her to go out of control, or try to claw her way into the dinning cavern. Lysith's mind was a whirlwind of dark and murderous thoughts and her rider had to bite her tongue to keep from gasping in shock. She gripped the chair arms as she battled wills with Lysith. _Calm down! It's just words! He hasn't done anything... He's not going to do anything. He can't. He still needs us._

_I WILL KILL HIM!_

_NO YOU WON'T! YOU WILL STAY PUT! YOU WILL NOT HARM HIM!_

"You're awfully pale - is everything all right?"

"Perfectly fine." Kayta lied, her mind still reeling. How had he known about the mainland? She and the others had always tried to keep their visits quiet from the rest of the Weyr. But if he knew, then, obviously, they hadn't done a good enough job. As for that threat... she had heard horror stories from N'bel about other Weyrleaders who had set things up so that their adversaries had disappeared or had been mortally wounded. After the bruises he had given her, she had believed that Z'char had it in him to be that type of Weyrleader, but she had assumed that she was safe since she was a Queenrider. Apparently, she wasn't. For the first time since coming here she felt afraid; even if M'rocav won the next mating flight, she wouldn't put it past Z'char to pull something if Lysith laid a queen egg someday. She stamped out that line of thought before it could continue and upset her dragon any further; "It's a good thing that Lysith and I don't visit the mainland or fight thread then..."

"... but your friends do." He gestured at the wherry meat he was eating. "That's where this came from isn't it?"

"Of course, sir. The traders from the Mainland finally came through, remember?" W'fiel interrupted with a snort.

His Weyrwoman and Weyrleader ignored him though; both knew that there hadn't been any wherries with the last shipment. That meant one of their own had to have brought the creatures in somehow, and since the only ones who went to the Mainland, that either knew of, were her friends, it had to have been one of them. Z'char leaned close so that his lips where next to her ear; his whisper making the hair on her neck stand on end. "I would suggest that you keep your pets on short leashes."

"I have been."

"Are you so sure about that?"

"Yes." Kayta whispered back. She met his glare with an arched eyebrow, "As I remember it, you used to visit the Mainland too. Maybe you showed one of your riders how to get there, and he's the one bringing in the wherries. What do you care as long as your belly is full?"

Z'char growled and pulled back, raising his hand as if to smack her. Outside Lysith roared her defiance, and Kayta braced herself against the chair arms again, refusing to look away from the Weyrleader or let her dragon budge from her wallow. Instead of hitting her though, the Weyrleader lowered his hand and called for wine. A drudge quickly rushed over with a skin, and he tore it from the woman's hands, storming out of the dining cavern. Only then was Kayta aware of how the room had gone silent and all eyes were on her again. As she looked around, the other riders looked away.

"Y'know, when I was younger, I used to look up to him. I thought he was the best bronze rider in the Weyr. But he's crazy, isn't he?" W'fiel's expression was awed.

Kayta nodded shakily and pushed her trencher of food in front of him. "Here, I'm not hungry anymore."

Outside Lysith was still bellowing her anger, and she would not calm down until she could physically inspect her rider to make sure she was okay. The Weyrwoman stood and left the dinning cavern as quickly as she could, hoping that it wouldn't appear that she was running for her life.


	18. Chapter 18

_AN: Holy crap! Two updates in as many weeks! This chapter has a bit of a cliffhanger, so, hopefully, I'll have the next chapter finished for you by next week :D_

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Calming down Lysith after the confrontation with Z'char took more energy and patience than Kayta had expected. Even though dragons had notoriously short memories and the Weyrleader was ensconced in his weyr again with a skin full of wine, the golden dragon still wanted to knock down his wooden weyr and shred him to pieces. By the time the dragon's murderous rage had faded, and her eyelids had finally drifted closed, her rider was shaking with exhaustion. Rather than attempt to make it the few steps to her own bed, she decided to curl up in the small hollow the dragon had made with her forearms. While she hated being out in the open, the night was warm, and she knew that the dragon would protect her if anyone tried anything.

She awoke to someone shaking her roughly, and opened bleary eyes to find N'bel standing over her with a hard look on his face. "Is there something that maybe you forgot to tell me before sending me off on that fool's mission?"

"No... "

"Like maybe the fact that there is a mainlander dragonrider who is infatuated with you?"

"I have no idea what..." Kayta started to rub the sleep out of her eyes and froze. She didn't know any mainlander riders... except for N'kar.

She didn't need to say anything, N'bel saw the realization dawn on her face. "Shards and shells. Why would you endanger us like that? You know better!"

"It was an accident. I just ran into him at a gather and he helped me..."

"Then how does he know about your bruises? Those happened well after your last gather trip. Or that you're a stubborn..."

"Alright, so I've seen him once since the gather. What does it matter if I've seen him one time or fifty? He knows nothing."

"Is he your lover?"

"What?" Of all the ridiculous things to think just because another person outside the Weyr had seen her bruises.

"Is he your lover? Because if he is, and if he's the reason why you can't put your support behind M'rocav and we're still stuck with that idiot, so help me..." N'bel had a furious look on his face. It was an expression that Kayta had never seen on him before, and it scared her more than any threat Z'char could ever make. She flinched away from him, unconsciously seeking the safety of her dragon, and he stepped backwards as if he had been physically hit. She had never been afraid of him before. Even when he had first brought her here, and she had had every reason to because he refused to let her return to her hold. "I'm sorry..."

Kayta took a breath to calm herself. This was N'bel; he might get angry with her, but he would never hurt her. "It's all right."

"No it's not. That damned Z'char..."

"I'm fine. I've just had a bad dream, and I'm not completely awake yet." She lied. " Not that it's any of your business, Weyrlingmaster, but N'kar, the brownrider... he's nothing to me." A small part of her wished that that was different. Even though he annoyed her because he wouldn't take a hint and leave her alone, and being around him was dangerous to the Weyr, it had been nice to have someone who was interested in her well being just because she was her, not because she was the Weyrwoman or a part of some grand plan.

"Is he the reason why you refuse to go to the mainland now?"

"Yes. It seems like every time I go, I run into him."

"Even though I am just a lowly Weyrlingmaster," He gave her a wink, trying to soften the mood and let her know that he wasn't offended by one of his proteges pulling rank on him all at the same time. "I would suggest that you continue to stay here and leave the mainland trips to someone else. I ran into him at one of the holds you wanted me to visit, and his dragon was able to sense Harnarth."

"Haven't their dragons always been able to sense ours?"

"We haven't encountered another mainlander rider in so long that no one has really known. I've always wondered if they could, but as far as I know they've never felt our dragons dying, nor have we felt theirs die, so I assumed they couldn't."

Kayta frowned to herself; when she was younger, she had thought he had known all the answers. To find out that he didn't was almost as scary as him yelling at her earlier. She decided to change the subject rather than think about that any longer. "Did you have any luck with the holders?"

"No. Most of them had had supplies stolen from them recently - grain, wherries, herdbeasts. The one hold that hasn't had any issues belonged to the family of that brownrider, and when he showed up, all discussion about trading went up in smoke."

"Shards." They were really in a bind now if no one would trade with them, all because of the rogue dragonrider raiding - who happened to be from their Weyr and who probably didn't even realize he was screwing things up for his fellow riders. "This person who was stealing the supplies, did the holders mention who it was?"

"Rumor amongst the mainlanders is that it's one of their riders."

"It isn't. It's one of our own."

"Who?" While he didn't act surprised, that muscle in his cheek that ticked when he was annoyed had started up.

"I don't know yet." Kayta shrugged. "Z'char pointed it out to me last night. The man is not nearly as stupid as we thought..."

"I never believed he was." N'bel said, interrupting her. "He may be power hungry, lazy, and a drunk, but he is far from stupid."

"He knew what we hadn't gotten any wherries with the last shipment from the mainland. And none of our riders have gone down to Southern recently." She hated to lie, but she highly doubted that one of the Islanders would have the initiative to go South if they had a sudden craving for wherry. She would have to have Lysith check as soon as the dragon woke up. "I don't think it's one of our group..."

"Well it's not Z'char - he hasn't gone since that incident with that one lower caverns woman - and none of his followers are familiar with the coordinates for the Mainland."

"Shards." Well, there went that idea. That left M'rocav, N'nyal, or M'taren, and of those three only M'rocav knew how dire their situation was. Had he taken the initiative? She hadn't seen him about since she had turned away his advances. And here he had been the one yelling at her a few short months ago about how she had endangered the Weyr by running into that supid brownrider. Didn't he realize that what he was doing was worse? And why hadn't he told her when she had mentioned the situation with the supplies to him? She had a sudden urge to smack him the next time she saw him. "I'll have Lysith tell the dragons to stay on the Island, and not to leave without my express permission. And I'll have her call M'rocav to the records room, I believe he has some explaining to do."

"I wouldn't start jumping to conclusions just yet..."

Lysith woke up suddenly, shaking her rider off as she stood and raised her neck, mourning the loss of a dragon with the rest of her Weyr. The keen echoed across the sandy beach that was the weyrbowl, and weaving around it were cries of surprise from riders being startled awake. Kayta stumbled against N'bel as she covered her ears to block out the noise.

M'taren was gone.


	19. Chapter 19

Author's note: Merry Christmas! This hasn't been read by my beta yet (she's been pretty busy lately... but it's the holidays so everyone is busy) so please take pity on me and be kind :)

* * *

N'kar had been working on the missive to Kai when the dragons had started keening. It was a sound that a dragonrider never wanted to hear, and he felt his hair stand on end in response to it. He was afraid to ask who it was, but Elanth told before he had a chance to reach out to the brown, _M'taren, rider of brown Drendenth is gone. _

_I don't recognize the name._

_He was not one of ours. _

_Which Weyr was he from?_

_The island._

The brownrider had felt a small measure of relief at learning that it was not a weyrmate, however, that relief was soon overshadowed by a sense of foreboding. _Do you mean Ista or... Kai's island?_

_Her island._ The dragon's response confirmed his rider's fears.

Shards and shells; a death from the renegade weyr would make it hard to get in contact with Kai like the Weyrwoman wanted. If she was on the Northern Continent with them then he imagined that her superiors would probably bring her back to her Weyr for her safety. If she was at the weyr then he doubted she would be allowed to leave after tonight. N'kar set his writing stick down on his desk, wondering if there was even a point to continuing the missive.

_The Weyrwoman commanded it, so it must be done. The Weyrwoman is also requesting that you meet them in her weyr as soon as possible. _

Of course. He had expected her to summon him ever since he had heard the dragons keen; however he had not expected it so soon. He sighed, looking at the letter he had written thus far, and, ignoring it, he ripped a corner off of the paper and scrawled out a quick message that was much shorter than the first.

Elanth carried him down to the Weyrbowl where he found Malena, the pretty goldrider, sitting with Gineara in the dining cavern. Both of them were still in shock, clutching their mugs of klah and looking around with eyes that didn't really focus on anything as they communicated with and comforted their dragons. He tapped Malena on the shoulder and sat on the bench next to her. "Can I borrow your firelizard?"

"Now?" She gasped, "But we're mourning here..."

"Please? It's urgent." He didn't want to give her any more information than he had too. Thankfully, due to his timing, Malena was too disturbed over the loss of a dragon and a rider she didn't know to question his motives. She called her queen firelizard to them, and commanded her to listen to the brownrider before quickly becoming lost in her own thoughts again. N'kar bribed the dainty queen into hopping onto his forearm with a bit of meatroll, and carried her out to where Elanth was waiting. He rolled the scrap of paper he had written his message up, and tied it to the firelizard's forearm with a spare length of twine. _Give her the image, please, my friend._

_She recognizes her._

_Kai?_

_Yes. _

N'kar found himself cursing again; that confirmed what R'nahl had suspected then: Kai was the missing runner from seven turns ago. He didn't know why it surprised him so - everything he had learned about her lately had indicated that they were the same person. He glanced at the dining cavern, hoping that Malena wouldn't try picking the firelizard's brain about where he sent her. The last thing they needed was an angry Queenrider on their hands. _Tell her to go to her please, and not to leave until Kai gives her a response. _

The little queen cocked her head to one side as Elanth relayed his directions, then chirped and dropped off of the brownrider's forearm, disappearing into _between_.

* * *

"How is he?" M'rocav was leaning against the wall of N'nyal's weyr when Kayta stepped outside for breath of air. She blinked, a bit surprised at his appearance - but then both M'taren and N'nyal were in his wing.

"Sleeping. Finally." She had stayed with the greenrider, holding him as he cried over the death of his lover. She leaned up against the wall next to the bronzerider.

"Good. What happened?"

"From what Lysith gathered from the watch dragon, M'taren went to the mainland after dinner last night. No one knows why or what happened after that. I suspect that maybe he just didn't have his coordinates right..."

M'rocav snorted, "M'taren was one of my best riders. He would never get his coordinates wrong... and he knew the Mainland better that I do..."

He probably even knew the Mainland better than I did, Kayta thought remembering the clearing where the brownrider had dropped the holders off. Even with all the experience she had had as Journeyman Runner she hadn't been aware that that place had existed in Bitra. She sighed. "Do you have any theories about that?"

"I just assumed that maybe he had sweeting that he had met at the gather..."

"I doubt it; he had N'nyal."

"He was a brownrider..."

"And?"

"Browns may fly greens, and their riders will comply, but they rarely seek out the company of other men for anything other than friendship on their own. You're still new..."

"I've been Weyrwoman for seven turns now, that's hardly 'new'."

"You're hold bred... you wouldn't understand."

"You're right. I don't. I was always led to believe that the Weyrs were different about that type of thing..." There was a sound from inside the weyr. Kayta tensed, the last thing she wanted was for N'nyal to hear them arguing and assume that M'taren that been unfaithful. She peered around the door into the room inside only to find that he was still asleep on the bed. However, there was a flash of gold as something flew out the window. A firelizard? But no one on the Islands had a gold firelizard that she knew of... shards, hardly anyone actually had a firelizard except for herself and a few patient lads from the lower caverns.

M'rocav tugged on her hand, pulling her away from the greenrider's weyr. "Let's not argue."

"No, let's not." Though, after the events of the night she was so tired any conversation might very well turn into an argument. What she wouldn't give for some of Berjoui's magic powder so she could just sleep and forget the past day had happened. She let the bronzerider lead her to the records room, keeping her eyes open for a flick of gold that didn't belong to her dragon.

* * *

For the second time in as many days, N'kar felt a sense of dread wash over him as he climbed the steps to the Weyrwoman's weyr. Only this time he was not afraid of loosing his position - he was afraid of what he would find waiting for him; after he had sent Malena's gold to find Kai, he had looked over towards the hatching grounds to see a brown dragon land on Lessa's weyrledge. Three men had dismounted and then unloaded a bundle from the dragon's back before being swallowed up by the large dark entrance.

By the time he made it to the ledge, the weyr inside was no longer dark but lit with glows. Surprisingly, the Weyrleaders had chosen to gather here instead of in the far more comfortable meeting room just down a short hall to the right. They stood with R'nahl, F'nor, the lord of Bitra and two of his men around a rug covered lump in the middle of the floor. The lord of Bitra was ranting while the dragonriders ignored him; "... If you had looked into this issue when I told you about it Wingleader, and actually chased the holdless off of my lands like I had asked you to, then maybe we wouldn't be having this problem right now!"

"Wingleader R'nahl did nothing wrong, Lord Holder," Lessa interrupted him before he could continue. "He stayed out of holder issues like we have asked all dragonriders to do so."

"Then if you are trying to be so autonomous, why did you have me bring this holdless man here?"

"Because, if you had noticed, when the man died the dragons keened. They only mourn if they lose one of their own, and dragons will suicide if their riders die, so, therefore, the man must be a rider and not a holder."

"Why would a dragonrider be stealing grain from my storage silos? Don't we holders give you enough with our tithes?"

"You do," F'lar smiled at him, trying to appease the blustery holder and his men. "And what you give us is greatly appreciated, however, it has come to our attention that there may be other dragonriders out there that are not associated with any Weyr, and we believe they may be the force behind all the thefts we have seen recently."

"Why didn't you inform the Lord holders about this?"

"We only learned of these other riders yesterday, it does take a little bit of time to get these sort of meetings coordinated." Which was a lie; if F'lar wanted to, he could have all the craft hall masters and lord holders amassed and packed into the meeting room within a candlemark.

"Ah, Wingsecond N'kar, thank you for joining us." Lessa finally noticed him standing by the entrance and motioned for him to come forward. "Since you have had the most interactions with these renegades, we were wondering if you might recognize this man."

N'kar nodded and walked forward. R'nahl stepped to the side and let him inside the circle. The brownrider hesitated before he twitched the carpet aside; what would he see? Would it be Nirybel looking up at him with dead eyes? However the body was too small to be the old man. Was it Kai then? Was she a dragonrider herself? Was that the reason Elanth had said so long ago that it was too late for her? He gave his wingleader a quick glance. As if sensing his worry, the bronze rider shook his head; no, it wasn't Kai. Feeling a bit better about what he would find, he pulled the carpet covering the body away from it and discovered a familiar face staring up at him.

"Do you know him? Was he the one you met at your brother's hold?"

"No," N'kar shook his head, answering the Weyrwoman's question. "But I've seen him somewhere..." Suddenly he remembered the Southern Boll gather that he had met Kai at. There had been two other men with her - that holder she had argued with, the apprentice harper...Niry something or other... and the journeyman. "He was with Kai when I met her."

"Kai?"

"The runner I told you about." R'nahl interrupted. "What happened to him?"

The smaller of the Bitran guards spoke up. "I was leaving Jen's cothold," The other guard snickered at that but was quickly silenced with his Lord Holder glared at him."...when I heard an argument coming from the yard near where the beasts are kept. By the time I called my partner and got over there, this man was lying in the dirt, and there was another standing over him. Then the watchdragon started to keen and the other man ran off."

"Did you get a good look at his face?"

"No."

"Probably one of the holdless. I keep telling you that they're becoming a problem! One that's only going to get worse once the pass ends!" The Bitran holder took the opportunity to start back on his tangent.

"Excuse me, my lord." The other guard interrupted, earning himself another dirty look from his Lord Holder. "I didn't see the man's face either, but he wasn't dressed like no holdless. He was wearing riding leathers, like a dragonrider."

F'nor chose then to speak up. "Well, judging from the wounds I saw, I'd say he was stabbed."

"Maybe there is some infighting going on between our renegades, and they'll kill themselves off, resolve the problem for us." R'nahl's tone was dark and ominous, and N'kar thought his comment was out of line. However, Lessa did nothing to reprimand him aside from smacking him lightly on the shoulder.

The brownrider frowned; he didn't want to think of Kai being caught in the middle of some sort of coup or war like what he had read about in the AVIAS archives. Hopefully she would be able to get away and meet him, and then they could put a stop to this once and for all.


	20. Chapter 20

_AN: Please don't kill me for the cliffhanger. I promise the next chapter will be coming soon. Maybe not this week, but definitely next week!_

* * *

Kayta, Weyrwoman, rider of Golden Lysith, found herself crouching on the other side of the bed, hiding from, of all things, a firelizard.

But it wasn't just _any_ firelizard that perched on the bedpost. It was _her_ firelizard. Malena's. Now that she was up close she recognized the darker gold hide and the detail in the crest that had been painted on to its chest. Only Malena would sit there for hours in order to get it to look just right.

For most of the day she had done her duties about the Weyr; checking on Lysith, checking on the riders drunk in the lower caverns, and checking on their limit stock of wine that the riders had almost decimated completely. She had also had to break up one or two drunken squabbles with the help of M'rocav and N'bel, since Z'char was nowhere to be found, and had to update the records regarding M'taren's death, the fights, the punishments for the offending riders, and dwindling wine supply. All of this was broken up by the occasional check in on N'nyal to see if he had woken up yet and, once he had woken up, convincing him that he needed to eat and pay attention to his dragon as the pretty little green was almost gray with sorrow. During everything she had seen flashes and flickers of gold out of the corner of her eye and would turn only to see the flick of a tail as what she thought was a firelizard jump in between.

Just past noon, she had seen it once again and had followed it out of the records room only to have it disappear on her. But maybe that had been because of the weyrling standing not too far behind her. Said weyrling must have run and told Berjoui about her strange behavior, because the healer had caught her standing out next to Lysith's wallow, peering intently up at the tree branches and the roof of her weyr. She had forced her to take a nap despite Kayta's insistence that she was fine.

She must have been more tired than she realized because the last thing she remembered was lying down on her bed while Lysith crooned outside. She had woken up to find that the sun was much lower in the sky than it had originally been and that Dolp was arguing with and being scolded by a queen firelizard.

For a moment she had been relieved; here was proof that she wasn't going crazy! There really had been a firelizard following her around! But then she had finally recognized the creature and a flood of memories had washed over her; she remembered the day that Deln, Malena's uncle and Kayta's foster father, had given them the eggs. He had hoped that it would teach them some sort of responsibility, but, much to his regret, while the two girls took good care of their pets, they continued to skip out on chores and harper lessons whenever possible, opting instead to hide away in the unused corridors and storage rooms of the hold. She remembered how Malena had cried when Deln had apprenticed Kayta out to the runners as a last resort to find some use for the wild girl. Gineara, their friend, had pouted the most though. She had pointed out that at least Malena and Kayta had a way to keep in contact with their firelizards, while she would have to wait for Kayta to visit in order to catch up on this and that boy. Also, it wasn't fair that Kayta got to go out on adventures and run across all of Pern while she and Malena had to sit and take sewing lessons from the old aunties. Ginaera had been right; Kayta and Malena, ever inseparable as children, had kept in constant contact by firelizard messages until that that one fateful day when thread had fallen.

At first Kayta had wondered if her friends had ever made it to safety, but when she finally asked N'bel if had seen them while rescuing her the old Weyrleader had told her that he hadn't and that it was best to forget about her former life; she could never go back since they thought she was dead and because she was the Weyrwoman now. For awhile she had consoled herself with the thought that maybe they had made it to safety; all they had to do was follow the instructions she had given them. If they stayed on the path they would have found the threadfall shelter in time, and it was big enough for the both of them. Then she remembered that this was Malena and Ginaera - two holder girls who rarely went outside the hold yard. They would have been scared and confused, and it would have been easy for them to lose the trail. Eventually she had come to the realization that the possibility of them making it to safety in time was a long shot and that they had probably been consumed by thread. By then she had impressed Lysith though, and was unable to cry or even mourn the loss of her friends for fear of disturbing the barely hatched dragon.

If Malena's firelizard was sitting in front of her, then that meant Kayta had been wrong and her friends had survived... however, how had her friend found her? N'bel said that everyone on the mainland believed that the runner was dead. Had someone seen her at one of the gathers? But if one of her friends had seen her surely they would have called out, wouldn't they?

For a brief moment she thought that maybe, just maybe, the Weyr had been discovered. She immediately dismissed the idea though; the Weyr was located on an island far from anywhere, and those riders that visited the mainland always made sure to hide their dragons from view. Also, N'bel had claimed that the Mainland dragons and the Island dragons couldn't communicate because they had lived separately for so long.

Taking a deep breath, the queenrider pulled herself up from where she was hiding and sat on the bed. She called the firelizard to her and gently pulled the message scroll from the little gold's leg. The handwriting on the inside of the message was not Malena's - it was far too masculine. Before she was able to read it though, there was a knock at the door. Kayta frowned to herself; no one, other than her friends and Derana, ever came to see her at her own weyr, and none of them ever knocked. Just to be safe she stuffed the message into a pocket and tossed a sleeping fur over the firelizard. She chirped indigently at the treatment, but soon quieted down when Dolp hissed a warning at her.

The knocking at the door came again. Kayta smoothed her hair down and strode to the door, opening it to find an older surly faced brownrider glaring at her. W'fiel stood with him and gave her an apologetic smile. "Z'char is asking that everyone come to the dinning cavern."

So the prodigal weyrleader had returned. Kayta sighed, wondering what was so important for him to say to the whole Weyr, and if he would be sober enough to say it correctly. She started to close the door on them, "I'll be right there."

"No. He wants everyone there now." The brownrider barked, throwing out his hand to stop the door and pin it back against the wall.

Beyond them, Lysith opened an eye that was whirling red and her tail twitched on the sand that covered her bed. _I do not like this._

_Neither do I my love. Neither do I._ Kayta admitted. "Yes of course, lead on."

The brownrider turned and started to walk towards the lower caverns, but not before giving her a curious look. The Weyrwoman just continued to smile as if there was nothing strange about Z'char's request. She looped her arm through W'fiel's and pulled on him slightly, slowing him down until they were out of the other dragonrider's hearing. "What is going on?"

"Z'char returned to the Weyr just a candlemark ago and immediately called for this meeting." The young bronzerider murmured softly. "He's sober though."

"That's a first."

W'fiel chuckled. "Yes. You would think that Calaranth would look better..."

"Well, even on his worst days, Z'char still managed, somehow, to make sure he was fed and oiled." Kayta admitted.

"I've never seen a dragon look so gray before though."

"Mmm." Calaranth was sitting on the ridge above the dinning cavern, and he was more brown then bronze at the moment. "Poor thing." Even though she hated his rider, she did not want to see the dragon suffer. _Lysith?_

_There is something wrong, but Calaranth will not tell me what. He says he is not allowed to speak to me anymore. _The Weyr queen was annoyed.

Very odd. Kayta let go of W'fiel's arm as they entered the dinning cavern and started to approach the dais. She was waved away by the brownrider. "You're supposed to stand with the others. Weyrleader's orders."

"I am the Weyrwoman."

"Z'char wants you down there with the rest of the Weyr, girl."

"How dare..." She wasn't about to let this lowly brownrider who wasn't even a wing third tell her, the Weyrwoman, what she could and couldn't do. His eyes flashed dangerously as she stepped forward, but Katya never knew what he would have done had she finished her threat; someone grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back amongst the crowd of riders. Panicking, she twisted to find N'bel standing behind her while M'rocav supported N'nyal nearby.

"While I have been always been proud of how loudly you will speak up to defend yourself and others from our idiot Weyrleader... now is probably not the best time." He gave her a grim smile, only releasing her when she nodded her acquiescence.

"What's going on?"

The bronzerider shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I was in the middle of teaching some of the weyrlings about wind currents and their effect on threadfall when R'del announced that class was over and told me to get my ass to the dinning cavern."

"The weyrlings were probably glad for the interruption." Kayta smiled, trying to make light of the situation despite the impending since of doom that was dancing around at the edge of her mind. R'del was a bronzerider and one of the Wingleaders who supported Z'char, as was the brownrider who had collected her from her weyr. Now that Kayta noticed it, most of the riders surrounding the room were either supporters of, or friends of, the Weyrleader... and quite a few of them were actually surrounding her little group. _This is not good._

_I already said that._ Her dragon's annoyance had turned into anger, but a quiet simmering anger. Her rider was grateful; she didn't think her ears could handle anymore of Lysith's bellowing just yet.

Silence fell over the crowd as Z'char entered the dining cavern and stepped up on the dais. "I'm glad everyone could make it."

"As if we had any choice." Kayta murmured quietly.

"I wish to apologize; I have come to the realization that I have been far too lenient of a Weyrleader and that the behavior of myself and others has lead our Island paradise to ruin." Z'char continued. "We are running out of supplies, but our own holders are too lazy to provide the support we need to protect them and the Mainlanders who have helped us in the past refuse to help us anymore because it's too dangerous for them."

A few of the riders started grumbling to themselves and others. No doubt they were complaining about the holders, the Weyrwoman thought with a frown. Most of them didn't realize or care that there simply wasn't enough land on any of the islands for any of the holds to grow the crops or feed the animals needed to keep them and the Weyr alive. And why was Z'char bringing all of this up in front of the whole Weyr to begin with? This was an issue for the weyrleaders to worry about and discuss behind closed doors, like she had been trying to do with N'bel and M'rocav for the past month or so.

"Do you really think he's going to clean up his act?" M'rocav asked.

N'bel snorted. "I doubt it. Unless we've run out of wine."

"See our wonderful Weyrwoman Kayta..." Z'char sneered and gestured to where Kayta stood in the crowd. "Has been trying to rectify the situation all by herself. She lacks control though, and one of our riders was slipping away to the Mainland without her knowledge or my permission. I followed him and discovered that he had been raiding the Mainlander's storage and stealing grain and other supplies from them to augment our own. The Mainlanders had discovered the thefts and reported them to their own Weyrs - who are now hunting for us at this very moment.

"We all know how we deal with thieves. While M'taren wasn't stealing from us, his actions endangered our lives. He also went against my direct orders and freed the very holders who tried to attack us - so he was punished."

N'nyal cried out, his face twisted by grief and fury. He started to rush forward, pulling his dagger from his belt, but M'rocav caught him before he could go very far. The larger bronzerider pinned him against his chest with one arm, and twisted his hand with his other until the belt knife clattered on the ground. After a minute or two the greenrider slumped, his body curling forward, inward on himself as sobs wracked his body. Kayta pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back and humming a low lullaby in an attempt to sooth him. Over his head she glared at Z'char. She would see that he paid for this. Oh yes she would.

"But the riders' whose instruction he was following, whose own actions have also endangered us by attracting the Mainlanders' attention in their own way, continue to walk around freely. That ends tonight." Z'char's smile turned triumphant. His riders moved forward, surrounding the Weyrwoman and the others. The bronzeriders were quickly restrained, and N'nyal was ripped away from her as her own hands were pinned behind her back. Outside their dragons bugled and roared in protest. Kayta struggled against her captor uselessly; there were too many riders surrounding them, preventing them from escaping, and she could feel her dragon's fury as the queen was held down by the remaining bronzes so there would be no help from that direction. "Wingleader M'rocav, Weyrlingmaster N'bel, and Weyrwoman Kayta are from here on out stripped of all rank. M'rocav, N'bel, and N'nyal should consider going between to spare themselves the humiliation of a public trial and execution. Unfortunately we cannot afford to lose our only queen, so Kayta will remain on weyr arrest for now."

The Weyrleader's continued to speak as Kayta was dragged out of the room, but she was too stunned by what had just happened to pay attention to what he was saying. Weyr arrest! Demotion! Suggesting that healthy riders and dragons commit suicide! And he had let, no, _ordered_, dragons to attack dragons, and their riders had forced their bronzes to comply.

However, even though their riders had been infected by Z'char's madness, their dragons had not. The few bronzes had started to hold Lysith down, but were wavering under her fury. They couldn't bring themselves to harm their Queen in any way, so while they held her down they were careful not to scratch her hide in any way. Lysith was not so gentle; the queen bucked and twisted. She snapped and hissed at the riders who waited nearby with ropes to tie her down.

"Control her!" The man at Kayta's back hissed in her ear.

The queenrider had frozen in her tracks, watching the spectacle before her with wide eyes. She should stop Lysith - dragons should never fight against dragons, whatever the reason - but this creature before her would not listen to reason. The queen dragon bellowed her fury again, ignoring her rider's pleas, and flung a bronze off of her back. The dragon rolled to a stop just a few feet away from Kayta and the dining cavern, showering them with sand and dirt. The hold on Kayta's wrists loosened just a bit, just for a moment, while the rider holding her jumped and muttered an oath. Rather than waste the opportunity, Kayta sprang into action; she stopped on the man's insole, and elbowed him hard in the stomach. He let her go, gasping for air, and Kayta took off at a run towards her dragon.

_LYSITH!_ She ducked under the body of one of the bronzes, and twisted to one side to avoid being smashed by his feet. _LYSITH!_

The queen finally heard her cry, and the next thing Kayta knew she was being encircled by and then scooped up by her dragon's talons. Then the ground was spinning away from them as Lysith launched herself upwards, away from the sky. Kayta groaned and screwed her eyes shut; it was one thing to ride on a dragon's neck, safely strapped in, it was quite another to be held by a dragon as it flew. She didn't like it at all. However there was no time to stop so she could ride properly - the bronzes of the Weyr and even a few of the browns were in close pursuit.

_They are getting closer._ Even though Lysith was still angry, Kayta could feel her exhaustion. The fight and flight had tired her out, and even though the others had been careful not to injure their Queen she was still bruised and bleeding. They needed to go between to some place or time where the others couldn't follow. Where she could regroup and think of a plan to save her friends and take her Weyr back.

_Here. Go here._ Kayta gave her dragons the coordinates, and then there was nothing but the black emptiness of _between_.


	21. Chapter 21

Author's note: I've been working on this for so long now, that it's a bit of a shock to finally reach this point in the story after dreaming about it for so long. Though, to be honest, I didn't plan for it to turn out this way originally. Something else was going to happen instead and I had one of those AHA! moments and this is the result. I hope you are enjoying it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

~AS

* * *

When Lysith came out of between, the fact that it was still night surprised Kayta. She panicked for a moment, thinking that they were still at the Island, but then the trees with their needle like leaves came into view and she sighed in relief; in their rush to escape the Weyr she had forgotten that Bitra was nearly half a world away from them, and that even though the sun had just set on the Island, it was still about a candlemark before dawn here. Just to the right was the clearing that M'taren had dropped the holders off at. It was barely big enough for his brown to fit in, let alone a queen dragon, so Kayta wasn't sure how Lysith was going to land. But her dragon managed to set down rather gently with a minimum of scratches. Thank Faranth for small things.

Since the Weyr and the dragons that had been chasing them were out of sight, Lysith was much calmer now, but there was still a tinge of anger to her thoughts. _How dare he! You should have let me hurt him! He wouldn't have dared to take our Weyr then!_

_Shhh pet_, Kayta leaned against the golden head, rubbing at her dragon's eye ridges. _It's over..._

_No it isn't over! He has our Weyr! He must die!_

_He's a dragonrider, and we can't kill him even if he was going to kill us. We are better than that._. Kayta sighed, _But let's not worry about him right now. For now we're safe, and that's all that matters. _

Lysith merely grumbled in response. However she settled down, lying so that her forearms formed a bit of a cradle for Kayta to sleep in. The queenrider sat down in the hollow, grateful that the dragon's neck and wings blocked the slight breeze. It was cold here, colder than the islands could ever get, and her clothing was too light and loosely woven to protect her from the elements. She found herself wishing that there had been an opportunity to grab her wherhide jacket and pants or at least some sort of supplies before her hasty departure. Maybe in the morning they could fly to a small hold where some unsuspecting auntie might be doing the laundry. As for food... well there were a few tubers that grew wild around here that were edible, if she remembered her runner training correctly. Fire wouldn't be too hard to come by, but it would be a pain to start one without a flint of some sort.

Was it even safe for them to stay here? What if Z'char had been following M'taren long enough to know about this place? So far Calaranth and the other bronzes hadn't appeared in the sky - however that didn't mean that they were out of danger just yet.

The queenrider shoved her hands in her pockets as she tried to think about what to do next. Her fingers brushed against a bit of paper... right! The message scroll Malena's firelizard had brought. She pulled it out, squinting to read it in the fading moonlight.

_"Kai, I know about the weyr..."_

She sucked in a sharp breath. The only person who knew her on the mainland as Kai was that lousy brownrider, N'kar, who kept bothering her whenever she came to visit the Mainland... and had also snuck in to a few of her dreams lately. How had he known about the Weyr? Could it have been the wherhide pants she was wearing the last time they met? But she had thought she had done an adequate job of explaining those away...

She found herself reevaluating her opinion of him, while he had been an annoyance, he obviously wasn't the idiot she had assumed he was. Either that or he was incredibly lucky to have stumbled across information of the Weyr somehow.

_"A dragon has passed away and I know it's not one of ours. I want to help."_

Help was exactly what she needed right now. A lot of it. An idea came to her, so absurdly simple that she was surprised she hadn't thought of it before. N'bel would be angry at her for it, but it would be worth it if her plan saved his life.

Kayta reached out to Dolp with her thoughts, and smiled when he responded by appearing in front of her almost instantly. She didn't have any treats to give him, so she rewarded him by scratching his head and cooing over him. He was such a loyal friend to stick around her for so long, she told him, and such a brave firelizard to defend her from Z'char when Lysith couldn't. When he was mollified and his chest was puffed out with pride, she pulled Dolp closer so that they were eye to eye. In her mind she imagined N'kar talking with her, and then pictured the clearing where she was currently only with the sun much higher in the sky.

When she let Dolp go the firelizard chirped in understanding and then disappeared between. Kayta leaned back and let out a sigh, hoping that her decision was the right one.

* * *

_The little one did not keep our secret very well._ Elanth spoke, stirring N'kar from his sleep.

"Huh? Whaddyame..." The brownrider's semi coherent question was cut off as a pail of cold water was dumped over his head. He escaped the onslaught by jumping out of bed, and turned to find Malena glaring at him with her arms crossed over her chest, a wooden bucket dangling from one of her finger tips. "Shards and shells! What is wrong with you?"

"I could ask the same of you! How dare you use a firelizard to contact a friend of mine without telling me! Didn't it occur to you that I might want to know that Kayta was still alive? That I might want to see her?"

"We don't know if Kai is Kayta..." N'kar started at the same time he spoke to Elanth. _A little warning before you let a crazy wherry into my weyr would be nice next time._

_You told me to wake you up if the little ones arrived. She is not a little one._

"It's Kayta! Gwen showed me the image you gave her..."

"Who?"

"My firelizard you deadglow! The picture of the girl you told her to go to - that's Kayta! So don't try to tell me that you don't know if it's her or not, because it is!"

"Alright. I'm sorry." N'kar knew that when she and R'nahl had fights, it would go on for days because they were both stubborn people who refused to admit defeat. He hoped that his apology would distract her enough that he could at least pull on some pants.

His idea worked; whatever Malena was about to yell at him next died on her lips. However, instead of letting him escape she started to bawl instead. The brownrider awkwardly patted her on the back. "Everything's going to be okay."

"No... it's... not..." She managed to say in between sniffles. "She was my best friend. We were closer than sisters! I thought she felt the same way, but obviously she's not the person I thought she was. I mean, if she was alive why didn't she try to find us?"

"Maybe she couldn't?" N'kar offered, not really wanting to bring how Kai was involved with a renegade group of dragonriders. That would not help her calm down at all. "Maybe she didn't know you were alive?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you had seen her? Or why didn't you tell her about me?"

"Malena..." He sighed. "I didn't even know that the runner I had met was your friend until today."

"R'nahl said you had had suspicions."

"I didn't want to get your hopes up." Her expression started to turn from concerned crying woman to furious wherry again, so he quickly cut her off before she could fling the bucket at him. "You forget, I know what it's like to lose someone."

"Oh, don't try to compare Llydwen walking out on you to me thinking a friend was dead!"

"Watch it Malena; regardless of what you thought of her, I did love her and I looked for her whenever I had a chance. With every lead I'd get my hopes up, only to have them smashed when the lead would turn out to be nothing."

"I'm sorry." It was the queenrider's turn to apologize. She dropped the bucket and sank down to sit on the edge of his bed. N'kar took the opportunity to snag his pants off of the floor and pull them on, and grabbed a cloth from the bathing room to dry his head with. "I didn't think..."

The brownrider snorted and she gave him a dirty look. He shrugged. "Your own words, not mine. When did... Gwen return?"

"Not even a candlemark ago. Her mind... the images she was showing me.. it was chaos. Kayta was being escorted somewhere by dragonriders, and then there were flashes of a crowd, and dragons fighting dragons. She's in danger, N'kar, but nothing Gwen was showing me was clear enough to go between on and then I just got so mad that you had obviously known all along that she was alive and had done nothing to help her."

Shards and shells. He hoped that R'nahl's wish wasn't coming true. And there was no way to help unless she sent Dolp. "Your friend hasn't exactly made it easy."

"She never does when she's in trouble." Malena laughed bitterly, wiping the tear stains off her cheeks. "She'll always try to fix it herself - and usually end up making things worse. She's caught up in this renegade rider mess isn't she?"

"How did you know about that?"

She gave him a patronizing look. "I am a Weyrwoman..."

"Junior Weyrwoman." N'kar corrected.

"...I help run the Weyr, so of course I'm going to hear about things. That, and, after the dragons stopped keening over that mystery dragon yesterday, there were rumors going around about how he wasn't one of ours and then Gwen showed me those images, so I just put two and two together. What is the weyr doing about the riders?"

"It's none of your business."

"I have every right to know!"

"No, you don't; you're just a Junior Weyrwoman - you aren't the Queen of Benden yet." He reminded her again. The Weyrleaders had not expressly forbidden anyone at yesterday's meeting from discussing the situation, but if Lessa had wanted Malena to know she would have told her. Not that there was to know; she had already figured out the majority of it.

"But we have to help Kayta!"

So they were back to that again. He sighed, trying to resist the urge to yell at her. His head was beginning pounding from being so rudely awoken, and the wine he had indulged in last night probably wasn't helping either; yelling would only make things worse. "I know. I'm trying. But like I said before, your friend hasn't exactly made it easy. If she will let me, if I can, then I promise you I will do my best to help her."

"Thank you." The queenrider nodded. Her eyes were doing that shimmery thing again, like she was going to start crying at any moment, but she lifted her head high and left the room quickly - but not so quickly that it appeared that she was running away. N'kar sighed in relief.

_Her Queen is proddy. _

_That explains her behavior. You'd think after six years of being a queenrider that she would be able to control herself better when it's close to that time though._ Lessa didn't act that way when Ramoth was getting ready to rise - but then N'kar didn't share a bed with her. The brownrider turned back to his bed; it was thoroughly soaked from Malena's administrations so he would have to drag it out onto the weyrledge to dry. Maybe he could convince one of the lower caverns women to take pity on him and loan him some dry sleeping rugs until his sodden ones dried. He went to work folding them up and carried them outside. There was enough of a chill in the air to make him shiver. Winter was on its way.

Once the sleeping rugs were spread out he went back in for the mattress. He struggled with getting it off of the bed by himself and into an upright position without damaging anything - especially his back.

_We have a visitor._

Cursing in frustration, he called out. "If that's you again, Malena, you better come and help me with this since you made this mess in the first place."

There was no reply, and he didn't hear any footsteps echoing through Elanth's weyr. "Hello?"

A blue firelizard popped out of between in front of him. It chirped frantically, trying to land on his shoulders and press its head against his face.

_He's trying to show you something._

N'kar tried to soothe the firelizard by rubbing at his eyeridges like he often did with Elanth, but it didn't work; the blue only tried to burrow against him tighter, as if somehow contact would help. _Try and calm him down please - try to find out what he wants._

Elanth rumbled from where he lay on his sleeping couch, and, just as he had done before, the firelizard fell silent and went stiff. _He says Kai is waiting for us at a clearing in Bitra. It looks like the one the holdless were camped in._

_Let's go then!_


	22. Chapter 22

Author's note: Sorry again for the delay in updating (man, I feel like I am always apologizing for that... damn real life) but the past month has been a tough one. I'm glad it's finally over. Anywho, here's the big chapter that I'm sure everyone has been waiting for :) Enjoy!

* * *

The clearing was almost as N'kar remembered it, except several branches had been bent back from the trees. Despite that, N'kar felt that it was still not quite large enough for Elanth to land without getting scratches, so he guided the brown dragon to land at the other clearing a short distance away. Something golden glinted in the rising sun, catching his eye as they began their descent and suddenly N'kar felt like an idiot for not questioning how Kai had gotten from the Island to here in Bitra. Travel by ship and then runnerbeast would have taken days, leaving only one possibility. _We should send for back up, we could be walking into a trap._

_No,_ Elanth replied, _No trap. If there had been any danger I would not have brought you here. And no others; she only wants to talk to you._

_How do you know what she wants?_ When the dragon didn't respond, he asked again. _Elanth, how do you know what she wants? Can she hear dragons like Lessa and Brekke?_

_No._

N'kar leaned down over the brown's neck so he could look at his eyes. They were a whirling dull yellow, but not in fear - in apprehension. He had seen more from the firelizard than what he had let on. _Dragon's aren't supposed to keep secrets from their riders._

_It is not a secret. I am not supposed to tell you. She wants to tell you._

_Again, how do you know what she wants?_

_I am not allowed to say, _Elanth crouched low to the ground so N'kar could dismount. _But you will see._

"N'kar?"

He turned to find Kai standing at the edge of the clearing, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. She looked tired; dark circles marred the skin under her eyes, and, he didn't think it was possible because she had been thin to begin with, but she seemed to have lost more weight. "Kayta."

She flinched. "It's been awhile since anyone from here has called me that."

"I know." He paused, unsure of what to say next. There were so many questions that he didn't know where to begin, and, judging from the silence that settled between them, she didn't know what to say either. "No more lies, Kayta. Promise me that you'll tell the truth from now on."

"I promise. I'm getting tired of lying and hiding anyways." The runner stepped out of the treeline and into the clearing, stopping a short distance from N'kar and his dragon. "Is this Elanth?"

"Yes."

"He's huge." Elanth preened at the compliment; puffing out his chest and bumping her gently with his nose. She obliged him by reaching up to give his eyeridge a rub.

"There are other browns that are bigger. Canth for example."

"Well, he's big compared to the dragons at my... the island..." Kai - Kayta, N'kar silently corrected himself - paused for a moment, then turned to face him. "We need your help."

"I gathered as much from the stories I've heard of dragons fighting, and you being taken prisoner." Though why they would want to take her captive was beyond him. She was just a runner. Granted, she was a smart one, but still.

"How did you know about all of that?"

"Malena's firelizard showed her, and she told me." No need to mention how she had told him.

The smile on Kayta's face was equal parts happy and sad. "So she did make it to safety."

"Yes. She and Gineara were rescued during that threadfall they thought you died in. Malena was pretty upset when she realized that you were still alive and never tried to find them."

"I thought they had died too, and I didn't really have the freedom to go looking for them. I had other concerns..."

"The renegade riders."

She nodded. "That and other things."

His thoughts danced away from what those 'other things' might be. Maybe that was why she had been so terrified of him at first - but hadn't he decided that that was all an act, and she certainly wasn't shying away from him now. Yes there was a bit of strain around her eyes, and she did seem a bit nervous, but that could be chalked up to what they had done to her. "Kayta, if you come with me, we can help you. We can keep you safe while..."

"While you what? Attack them? No. No more dragons attacking dragons. There are good men and women suffering there because of a Weyrleader on a power trip - the last thing we need is to have another batch of dragonriders come in on an entirely different type of power trip.."

"It wouldn't be like that..."

"How do you know? You're just a Wingsecond. You don't get to make the decisions; the Weyrleaders do."

N'kar gripped his riding belt. He was angry at the way she had just put him down, but knew at the same time that she was right. "Then come with me, talk with them, explain to them what is going on so they can help you like they want to... like you're asking us to."

"I will. I am. Faranth! I have no other choice." There was a flash of fear in her eyes, but this time it was real fear - fear for these good people she was talking about.

N'kar reached out and smoothed her hair with his hand. It was soft, but thick, his fingers tangling in it. He had told himself that he wouldn't try to rescue any other girls, that he should stay away from her because of her lies, and he couldn't go through that again after Llydwen, but Faranth help him...

_This_, Elanth interrupted his thoughts, _is different. She is not her. _

"All right," He dropped his hand to her elbow, pulling her gently to Elanth's shoulder. "Let's go; you can get some rest, Manora will feed you, and then you can talk to the Weyrleader's and we'll save your friends."

"No. Not like this." Kayta jerked away from N'kar's grasp and there was a loud bugle from behind them. Elanth responded with his own. The runner bolted for the tree line. "Lysith!"

_Elanth! What is going on!_

The brown dragon didn't respond. Instead he was shouting at whatever was out in the woods. _He did not know! We only want to help! You must calm down! He wasn't about to hurt her! He did not know!_

Shards and shells! N'kar took after the runner, having to jump over rocks and fallen trees as he tried to catch up with her. Even in her exhausted and emotional state she was still faster than him, and he only caught the occasional glimpse of her skirt. What in the first egg was going on here? First she had begged for his help and now she was running from him? And what had made that bugle? Had one of the renegade riders shown up? If they had why was she running towards it?

The trees ahead were thinning out. He slowed to a walk, and crouched down behind a fallen log, hiding himself just in case there was a renegade rider nearby. He peaked over the top of the log, and immediately recognized the clearing that he had found the Holdless in. A small queen dragon dominated the area, curling around Kayta protectively as she soothed it and rubbed its eyeridges. "It's all right. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere without you."

N'kar stood all the way up, leaning heavily on the log as he tried to process what he was seeing. Kayta and a dragon. A dragon that obviously looked to her. And it wasn't just any dragon - a _queen_ dragon. That was why she had been so afraid of him when she ran into him; she thought that he might be able to sense she was a fellow dragonrider. He groaned, R'nahl had been right, he had let his interest in her blind him. "You're a queenrider?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice, and the dragon hissed at him. Kayta shushed her again. "Not just a queenrider; I'm the Weyrwoman."

* * *

"Where is N'kar?" R'nahl interupted Malena - just as the Jr Weyrwoman had taken a bite of her breakfast. "I hope you didn't send him off on some errand. He's on restriction..."

She glared at the handsome bronzerider as she finished chewing; her mother, after all, had trained her that a lady didn't speak with while she was eating. Then, because she knew it would irk him, she took a sip of her klah, delaying her response even further. Maybe that would teach him not to pester her about _his_ wingsecond.

When he had achieved an interesting shade of red under his tan skin, Malena finally decided to speak; "He was still in his weyr when I spoke to him about the message he had Gwen send to Kayta..."

"He's not there now." R'nahl didn't react to her missing friend's name or to what basically amounted to her saying 'I know about your big secret plan, oaf.' "And Elanth is not responding to Xanth when Xanth tries to bespeak him."

That explained why he was bothering her then. He wanted her to have Kaelith ask Elanth where Elanth and his rider were. Well, he would have to ask nicely first. Preferably while on his knees kissing her boots. It was only what he deserved for keeping her out of the loop that her friend was still alive - especially when he knew how much she had missed Kayta. Especially when she had confessed to him during a moment of weakness about how she felt guilty for the girl's death. She took another sip of klah. "Interesting."

R'nahl growled something under his breath - probably a curse, Malena assumed - and leaned down so that his face was inches away from hers and no one else at the table could overhear him. "Girl, the Weyrleaders are asking for him to be present at a meeting that will be starting any moment now - and considering recent events I do not want to try their patience. If you do not help me find N'kar I will let Lessa know that the delay was all your fault..."

"What delay?" Malena decided to focus on his nose so she wouldn't be distracted by his looks. "Really, R'nahl, the delay is all yours for not just coming out and saying what you want."

"Malena..." There was an expression in his eyes that she had never seen before. They were hard as he stared at her, and for a moment, she thought that maybe she had pushed him too far this once. However, before he could continue or before she could apologize there was a bugle of greating from the dragon on Watch. She turned and smiled at him, "It appears your wandering Wingsecond has returned."

He frowned, but didn't respond. Instead he left her sitting at the table as he pushed through the crowd of riders that was begging to gather at the entrance to the dinning cavern. She picked up her breakfast again, intent on resuming where she had left off, but the crowd kept growing as now the lower caverns folk were leaving the kitchens to join, and they were all being so loud. _Kaelith, what is going on?_

_There is another queen here._

This was a lot of fuss over another Weyrwoman. _Is she injured?_

_No, but she is not a queen we have ever seen before._

A queen we haven't seen before... that wasn't possible... unless it was one of the Renegades N'kar had told her about. She jumped up from her seat, forgetting about her breakfast, and headed for the crowd. Those that saw her shoulder knots parted before her, but others must have been too stunned by what they saw to pay any attention to her requests to move, so she had to push past them. Eventually she was unable to go any further, so she stood on tiptoe and was able to catch a glimpse of a queen dragon that was much much smaller than any queen currently at the Weyr. N'kar and R'nahl stood talking as a woman who couldn't have been any older than Malena herself rubbed the queen dragon's head. _Who is she?_

_We do not know. The little one will not speak to us._

And then the strange queenrider turned to follow N'kar and R'nahl and Malena gasped, "Kayta!"


	23. Chapter 23

Author's note: This is the chapter that was damn near impossible to write - but only because there were so many characters from the series being mentioned that I was having to dig through all my books to help me remember who was who and in charge of what Weyr. And then of course I wanted to make sure I kept the characters in character... which required flipping through my books some more. Who knew research could be so tiring?

* * *

The meeting room at Benden Weyr was packed. Weyrleaders and Weyrwomen from all the Weyrs across Pern sat around the large meeting table, and their most trusted Wingleaders and Wingseconds sat on the bench that ran around the perimeter of the room. Masterhaper Sebell as well as his wife Menolly were in attendance, and so were D'ram and Lytol from Cove Hold. N'kar had given up his seat to someone else and now stood in the doorway that led to the records room, surveying the crowd.

Someone poked the brownrider in the back and he turned to find Malena behind him. "Let me through."

"No. There is no reason for you to be here."

"I am a weyrwoman!" She hissed, glaring at him.

"Junior. You are a Junior Weyrwoman, and as none of the other Junior Weyrwomen are here you do not need to be here. If Lessa had wanted you here I'm sure she would have had Ramoth send for you hours ago."

"I saw her." So that was what this was about. N'kar ran a hand through his hair, quickly dropping it so that it rested against the other side of the door - preventing Malena from entering. The queenrider huffed in frustration and then tried a different approach. "I thought you said you were going to help her, but she didn't look good at all."

"Things are a bit more complicated then we had thought..."

"I saw."

He regarded Malena over his shoulder. Yes, of course she saw - if she had seen Kayta then she would have seen her friend's dragon as well. His mind was still trying to digest that the girl he had thought was just a simple runner was actually a Weyrwoman. The Weyrwoman of the weyr that had been causing them so much trouble. It must have been just as much of a shock for Malena to realize. "We'll talk later."

"I don't want to talk to you; I want to talk to her."

"Malena..." R'nahl was watching, and was beginning to edge his way around the room to where his wingsecond stood. Probably to either offer advice or his condolences. However, if he saw Malena... N'kar shifted his body to block the queenrider from sight. "I'll see what I can do, but unless you want to be on the midnight watch with me you need to go."

"Humph." There was a swish of fabric, and the next time the brownrider looked behind him the corridor was empty.

R'nahl finally reached him and clasped him on the shoulder. "I told you that girl would be trouble."

"If you're here to admonish me... this is not the time, nor the place." N'kar was suddenly defensive. He had expected R'nahl to scold him yet again for allowing his attraction to the girl distract him. For not keeping him informed about the situation. But if the bronzerider had gone with him, would Kayta have come forward? Or would she have hidden out in the woods as long as she could?

Before the Wingleader could say anything though, the Weyrleaders entered the room followed by Kayta. She had cleaned up since N'kar had last seen her a candlemark ago; her hair was tamed into two braids that wrapped around her head, and someone had loaned her a dress to wear while her other clothing was washed. There were still dark circles under her eyes though, and even from across the room he could see that she was still tense, like a coiled spring waiting to snap. She took a seat at F'lar's left hand and scanned the room, only relaxing a little when she finally saw N'kar in his hiding spot.

"The past two days have been quite a shock to us all; first we suspected the holdless, then we suspected one of our own was behind the raids. However, it has come to our attention that the culprits were actually a part of an unknown Weyr." F'lar spoke and the room fell silent. "Someone has come forward and given us more information about that Weyr. One of their riders was the one raiding the holds, but only because their own supplies were low and their own holds could barely support them. That rider was the one who died yesterday - he was attacked by his own Weyrleader on our soil for his actions. That very Weyrleader has gone on to attack some of his other men and plans to execute them. One of their Queenriders has come to us for protection and assistance. Before we continue I will give her a moment to tell her own story... Weyrwoman Kayta?"

There was a murmur of surprise as the former runner stood. For a moment she seemed to waver, as if she might try to run away. She glanced at N'kar again and he gave her a nod of encouragement. The queenrider took a breath and gave the riders around her a small smile. "You'll have to forgive me - it's been a very trying time... recently. I don't know where to start."

"At the beginning, like you did with us." Lessa suggested. Kayta nodded and started talking.

* * *

For the third time that day Kayta finished her story, sat back in her chair, and tried not to let on just how much everyone staring at her was really bothering her. You would think she would have gotten used to being stared at and whispered over the years, but somehow this was different. The Islanders had been stuck with her back then, she had been their only queenrider after all and if the Weyr wanted to survive then they needed her even if they hated her. Here she was just one of many, and her future was in the hands of these strangers.

_You are Weyrwoman. You are their equal._ Lysith's voice was full of love and pride, but it did nothing to reassure her rider.

"If this Weyr of yours has been around for over 400 turns, why do we not have any record of them?" Someone finally spoke, a woman with green rider shoulder knots who was sitting next to the Monaco Bay Weyrleader.

_Elanth says her name is Mirrim_, Lysith spoke after consulting with her translator. While the queen was still struggling to be understood by the other dragons, Elanth was there to help out if she needed it. Kayta didn't quite understand how the brown was able to communicate when the others couldn't, but hadn't had much time to think about it. For the moment she just assumed that it was because of all the run-ins that he had had with her and the other riders from the Island.

_The last time I checked Greenriders could not be Weyrwomen._

_She is not the Weyrwoman, she is his Weyrmate. _

_Why is she here then?_

_Elanth says N'kar says she has a better head on her shoulders than the real Weyrwoman, but he doesn't know why she is allowed to these meetings either. _

_Thank you, dear._ She glanced around the room and discovered that N'kar was watching her. He gave a little nod, confirming what his dragon had said, but then he quickly looked away. Kayta sighed.

"Perhaps the Weyr was a back up, in case the oldtimers didn't make it." This was from the Southern Weyrleader, K'vin.

"As far as I was aware such a thing was never discussed." Lessa said, though she glanced at some of the riders she had brought forward.

An older bronzerider gave the tiny Weyrwoman a smile. "We were all so sure that we had gone forward that we never thought to leave anyone behind as a failsafe - except for Benden."

"There was a younger Queenrider who disappeared during one of our jumps forward..." Another Weyrwoman spoke up. Kayta was surprised that the woman had anything constructive to add to the conversation; she had struck the younger woman as being dimmer than a dead glow when they were first introduced, and, sure enough, she couldn't help but notice that the other queenrider had spent most of the meeting staring off into space.

"One of our younger bronzes went missing as well." The dimglow's Weyrleader finished for her. "They were both fairly young and had just learned to fly and go between. We assumed they had miscalculated their coordinates and were lost as a result. It never occurred to me that they might have stayed behind."

"But why?" This was from a second Weyrwoman.

_Nadira_, Lysith supplied. _The easily distracted one is Bedella. Her mate is R'mart. _

_I trust you got that from Elanth again?_

_Yes, though the others are getting easier to understand._

_Good. _Kayta turned her attention back to the conversation. R'mart was speaking again; "They were both hold bred and I remember that they were rather unhappy about having to leave their families behind."

The records detailing who had founded the Island Weyr had long since deteriorated so Kayta had never learned about them while N'bel was training her. If these riders R'mart was speaking of had been the ones to discover their Weyr it would explain why every Islander was taught from birth that they must remain a secret - discovery would have thrown off the future. Maybe the first Islander riders had even been a little ashamed of their decision.

But that was the past, and she was worried about the future. What if Z'char killed N'bel and M'rocav while she was stuck here listening to these strangers debate about where the first riders had come from? She opened her mouth to interrupt, but F'lar beat her to it. "While I would have appreciated the help these men and women would have offered all those years ago, I believe what is going on now is far more important. What are we to do about this Weyr now that we know about it?"

"Each Weyr is autonomous just like each hold is separate from each other. We have no right to do anything."

"I thought we already settled that years ago, with T'ron and his lot." Lessa reminded R'mart.

"That was different situation."

"Why? Because thread was involved and lives were at stake? This Weyrleader is ignoring his responsibilities far more than T'ron ever did, and he is actually killing his own riders."

"From what Weyrwoman Kayta has said, the Weyr does not have enough supplies to support itself for much longer. If we let the Weyr be, the situation may resolve itself." R'nahl held up a hand as if to stop any yelling. "I do not approve of the needless loss of life, but, maybe as things get more desperate, the other riders in the Weyr will rise against their Leader and overthrow him."

"And in the mean time, two very good men and dragons will die while we sit and twiddle our thumbs." Kayta snorted, and everyone turned to look at her as if suddenly remembering her presence. "That is not an option."

"What would you have us do then? Set dragon against dragon for a Weyr who has caused us nothing but problems, for a poor example of a Weyrwoman who can't control her own Weyr or, shells, even her own dragon."

"R'nahl!" F'lar called the bronzerider to order.

"I admit that I have not been the best Weyrwoman. I let myself be bossed around and led to believe that a mating flight would fix things by changing the leadership of the Weyr. I let myself be ostracized because of who I was when I impressed. I realize now that I was wrong, that I shouldn't have stayed hidden away in the records room bent over dusty scrolls and hides. I should have come forward and let everyone know that we existed as soon as Lysith could fly. I should have forced the wings to fly when Z'char wouldn't just because thread was falling over the ocean and not land. I should have made them leave the holders alone rather than just having them whisked away to another continent. I hope, that with the support of the rest of the Weyrs of Pern, I will be able to return to my Island and correct my mistakes and the mistakes of the ones that have come before me." Kayta took a breath and looked down at her hands folded on the table as she thought about what to say next. "I do not want dragon to fight against dragon - I actually believe that if enough of your dragons come with me even a crazy man like Z'char will realize that he is outnumbered and that any fight would be useless. It helps that your dragons are much larger than ours. And even though the bronzes attacked Lysith, I do not believe they did so willingly. They were grey and very careful not to hurt her. And as for Lysith's own behavior... Can you blame her for being so protective after I was attacked?"

"I see no marks on you. In fact, it looks like your dragon took most of the abuse of the attack despite your claims that the bronzes were careful."

"Even a mother may accidentally scratch her child while trying to restrain it. And I was not referring to last night's incident, but one that happened many weeks ago... Your wingsecond saw the aftermath of that."

"You looked fine when I met you in the clearing that day."

"She wasn't fine." N'kar finally spoke up. His face was stony, and he had gripped his belt so tightly with his hands that his knuckles were white. "She had bruises on her arms. I even suspected that she might have had a head injury since she could barely stand up straight. I tried to encourage her to come back to the Weyr with me, but she wouldn't."

There was a murmur of surprise at that, and R'nahl's mouth had turned into a perfect 'o'.

"And you didn't mention this why?" F'lar's eyes flashed between N'kar and Kayta.

Kayta shrugged. "It did not seem important when compared to the life he took."

"My dear..." Lessa started.

"It's nothing." The bruises and dizziness had long since faded; there was no point in bringing them back up.

"If we were to restore you to the Weyr, what would happen then?" R'mart asked, finally breaking the silence.

"It has been suggested that the Weyr supplement its current supplies with fruits and some of the wild herdbeasts from Southern. Other necessities can be supplied by the rest of the Weyrs until the holds are able to recover and resume tithing. Also, some of the Island dragonriders will be dispersed among your Weyrs, and, in exchange, volunteers from your Weyrs be sent to the Island to replace them. This should help us adapt and become a productive part of the rest of Pern." Kayta started trying not to let on how much she did not agree with either idea. Yes they needed supplies, but they didn't need charity - they had plenty of marks and jewels to pay the other Weyrs back. As for sending her riders away? She knew they needed discipline, but they would feel isolated and possibly be snubbed at the other Weyrs for where they came from that would only lead to resentment and more issues in the long run. She couldn't condemn them to that no matter how they had treated her. "Benden Weyr has generously offered to send one of their Junior Weyrwomen to the Island with me to help organize the records and train me on how to use a flame thrower so I can participate in the Queens Wing when thread falls." It would be nice to have another queenrider around to talk to... and to finally be able to fight thread instead of just sitting around waiting for the wings to return!

"What about this Z'char? Do we exile him like we did with T'ron and T'kul?"

"No," D'ram interrupted. "Exiling dragonriders only led to more problems. And to where would we exile him anyways? Another Island where he could cause more havoc?"

"We can't demote him! Each Weyr is autonomous!" R'mart, Kayta decided, must be slipping in his old age; they had already covered autonomy earlier.

"What if we allowed him to stay as Weyrleader for now, but under heavy supervision? And then let Lysith's next Mating Flight decide who will take over from there." Lessa suggested.

"We've tried that, his bronze keeps winning." Katya reminded her, praying that the tiny Weyrwoman wasn't beginning to lose it as well.

"But by giving you some of our spare dragons, Lysith will have a larger selection of bronzes for when she does fly. You mentioned yourself that our dragons are larger than yours..."

Oh. Oh! The Island Weyrwoman could not believe she could have been so obtuse to miss that. Suddenly, she was aware of the wingleaders in the room eyeing her with a brand new appreciation, and she had to suppress a shudder at the idea of having a stranger share her bed. She gave Lessa her best smile, "That certainly changes things."

"I thought it might." Lessa returned her smile and there were a few chuckles from some of the other younger Weyrwomen. There was a swirl of fabric at the back of the room and when Kayta looked up, N'kar was no longer in the room and R'nahl had disappeared as well.

F'lar raised his hand to get everyone's attention: "All in favor of supporting our new friend?"

There were a chorus of 'Aye's around the room, and for the first time in ages Kayta allowed herself to relax. Things were going to be okay. It was still going to be a long and tough journey, but things were finally beginning to look up for once.


	24. Chapter 24

Author's note: Sorry, again, for this update taking so long. It's been a really tough couple of months. First, I'm in the middle of planning my wedding (3 months to go! OMG!) and then, secondly, a very close friend passed away three weeks ago. A character in this story was actually based, very loosely, on her, so I didn't want to even look at this story for a while. However, she (and I'm sure you all) would never forgive me if I didn't finish this sooo... here we go...

* * *

N'kar paced the records room, reeling from his emotions. There was a part of him that wanted to be mad at Kayta for lying to him, for everything that her Weyr had done that had jeopardized the peace between the Holds and the Weyrs, but another part had recognized that there was a scared woman underneath the brave face that she had put on and was proud of her for coming forward finally, for asking for help. And then there were the revelations he had learned in the meeting; he had always suspected that someone at the Island Weyr had been the one to hurt Kayta, but to have it confirmed, and to find out that it had been the Weyrleader who had abused her shocked him. Weyrleaders where supposed to protect, not cause deliberate harm to others! Granted, he had known that this Weyrleader, Z'char, wasn't a good man, especially when he allowed his riders to steal from holds, but that could be forgiven to a degree considering the fact that his men had been starving. However to attack a Weyrwoman, to kill his riders and plan to murder more... And Lessa and F'lar were letting her go back there. Back to him.

_It is not like that._ Elanth interrupted his thoughts; _He will still be Weyrleader, but only in name. _

_Regardless, he can still try to hurt her._

_He won't. He will be watched. And if he will be stopped. _

The brownrider wished he could have as much faith as his dragon did.

"Are you done sulking yet?"

N'kar looked up to find R'nahl watching him from the doorway. "Why would I be sulking?"

"Over the fact that Lessa and the other Weyrwomen are plotting to send any available young bronzeriders to the Island for Lysith's impending flight."

"I was more concerned for her safety since we'll be returning her that madman, but thank you for reminding me of that as well." She was a Weyrwoman - of course her queen would eventually rise and then... He closed his eyes against the visions of her body pinned beneath another man. It was how Weyrleadership was decided. It was the way of the Weyr. He had been around it for most of his life, had participated in quite a few flights himself, why was it bothering it so much now?

_Because it's her. And you want to be the one to catch her._

_Browns don't fly Golds. _Besides, he didn't even know if she returned his feelings.

Elanth gave the equivalent of a mental snort, but didn't elaborate. _Lessa would like to have a meeting with you and R'nahl._

_Tell Lessa that we will be on our way. _N'kar took a breath and tried to calm himself. On the other side of the room, the wingleader's head was bowed and his brow was furrowed as Xanth passed on the same request. "Let's not keep the Weyrwoman waiting."

* * *

Malena tried to be patient, to wait for N'kar like the he had asked her too, but when one candle mark and then another passed she pushed herself away from her desk in her weyr and stormed out onto the ledge. She stood there, glaring up at the steps that lead to the Weyrwoman's weyr, willing the brownrider, or R'nahl... shards... anyone who could give her some news to appear, but no one did.

_Be patient, they are not like the little one and cannot be summoned at will._ Kaelith's calming voice swept through her thoughts.

_I know! But I want to see her._

_You got to see her earlier. Shouldn't that be enough?_

_No, that was only a glimpse. I want to talk to her..._ Though, Malena admitted to herself, she had no idea what she would say to Kayta when she finally did see her; 'good afternoon, I'm glad to see you're not really dead' seemed a bit blasé, and yelling at her about it, which was what she really wanted to do, would be rude.

Her stomach growled and she sighed; she hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast... Maybe she would feel less cross if she picked up something from the kitchens. Maybe an idea on what to say to Kayta would come to her then. She started towards the steps at the other end of her ledge but found that one of the weyrlings was walking up them carrying a basket of food judging from the lovely smells emanating from it. "Excuse me, Queenrider."

"Is that for the meeting?"

"No, ma'am; the meeting already ended - this is for the girl that arrived with my fa... the brownrider this morning. Felena says she needs to put some meat on her bones."

"Mm." It took Malena a second but she finally recognized the boy: Nelladwyn, N'kar's son. She stepped aside to let him pass and then paused. "Weyrling?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sure you have a lot of chores to do today, what with thread falling tomorrow and all."

"Yes; we have to stuff sacks with firestone for the riders, and cut strips of linen for bandages if the healers need them, and then Manora still wants us to cut the tubers for the stew tonight..."

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "Why don't I take that up for you then?"

"I don't know... Felena said..."

"The last thing we need is for our future riders to get burnt out before they even get near an egg. I'll take this, and you can get an early start on the firestone and then maybe, if you get done quickly enough, you'll have a chance to relax some before dinner." She took the basket of food from him and waved him off. "Don't worry; I'll handle Felena for you."

"Thank you weyrwoman." He ran off, nearly falling down the stairs in his haste to get away. Malena smiled to herself - what a typical boy, so desperate to get away and goof off - and started up the stairs that led to the Weyrwoman's Weyr.

* * *

So much was happening and so quickly, which was exactly what Kayta wanted, but at the same time she felt as if her head wouldn't stop spinning. She longed for a moment to breathe and clear her thoughts, and then immediately shoved that desire away; she could relax and take time to process things once she had her Weyr back.

"...D'mor is older - he was a weyrling under D'ram when the oldtimers came forward - but he is an exceptional wingleader." Lessa said, leaning over a list of available bronzeriders and wings that the other Weyrleaders had put together. Kayta nodded, and tried to remember what this D'mor looked like. Was he the tall man with the gray hair? Or the chubby brunette? "G'dened says that he can spare the rest of D'mor's wing as well - which is good; I believe that the Istans will do well at your Weyr, since you are both Islands and tropical."

"Not necessarily, dear heart - Ista actually has something resembling seasons." F'lar interrupted her and then glanced at the younger Weyrwoman beside her. "What about the Island?"

"We have seasons, too; there's either hot, or wet and hot."

He smiled at that. "Let's ask K'van and T'gellan for a couple of bronzeriders as well then."

Lessa sorted through the scrolls in front of her that the other Weyrleaders had delivered after their meeting and added two more names to the list in front of her. Kayta frowned as she considered the number of dragonriders on that bit of paper. "Maybe that's enough."

"No. We will also be sending one of our wings with you as well."

"Oh." So many men on such a small island; where would they all sleep? Maybe she would have one or two of the wings moved so that they were on one of the other islands with the holders - and strongly suggest that they help them in any way possible to improve the holder's opinion of dragonriders. At least she didn't have to worry about supplies for the moment.

"The wing we will be assigning to you should make excellent liaisons between your Weyr and Benden, especially since you already know them." There was a sound at the curtain separating the meeting room from the records room. "That should be them now."

Only when Kayta looked up, she did not find herself looking at the brownrider she had been expecting - instead a familiar face was staring at her: Malena.

"Is there a reason for this intrusion, Goldrider?" F'lar asked, startling both of them.

"My apologies, Weyrleader. Felena sent this up since you missed your lunch." Malena stepped forward and set the basket she was carrying on the table. The holder girl had not changed much during the last seven turns; she was still buxom, and her long blonde hair hung in a heavy plait down her back. The only difference was that this Malena was tan, while the girl Kayta remembered had been very pale from being kept in doors, and the old Malena would have never glared at her like that.

"Since you are up here, Malena; how do you like Benden Weyr?" Lessa asked suddenly.

The Junior Weyrwoman blinked in surprise. "You know I love being here, Weyrwoman."

"Yes, but have you ever thought about maybe requesting a transfer to another Weyr?"

"Why would I?"

"A change of scenery. A new selection of bronze riders. Better chances of advancement. Any number of reasons."

"But this is my home. Have I done something to upset you or the Weyrleader, Lessa? Is that why you want to get rid of me?"

"I don't want to get rid of you, dear. I'm simply looking out for your own interests and the interests of our new friends. You are our fourth, and youngest, Junior Weyrwoman; Ramoth can only put up with two other queens sharing her bronzes at most, but we haven't transferred you anywhere because the other Weyrs are crowded as well and, at this time, there is no need for another Weyr especially with the discovery of this new Island Weyr. However, at this Island Weyr they desperately need another Queenrider..."

"Weyrwoman Lessa, this may not be the best..." Kayta interrupted the older woman's explanation.

"Nonsense. You two were good friends in your youth..."

"Yes, but we have not seen each other in many years..."

"And whose fault was that? You knew where we were. You could have sent word." Now it was Malena's turn to interrupt.

"It's not that simple, Malena. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. And Dolp was afraid to leave me, so sending him anywhere was useless, and then I impressed, and you know how demanding a baby dragon can be."

"Why didn't you try to find us once your dragon was old enough then? You are the Weyrwoman - you could have done whatever you wanted."

Kayta laughed and Malen flinched at the bitter sound. "Yes, because as a Weyrwoman, I had tons of free time to look up friends who may have been dead. Then there's also the issue of my Weyr being secret because it was founded by renegades 400 turns ago."

There was a tense moment as the blonde continued to glare at the other Queenrider. Her mouth opened once as if she was going to say something, but instead she turned her back on her former friend and curtsied at Lessa and F'lar. "Thank you for considering me for this position, Weyrwoman, but I would prefer to stay here."

"You don't have a choice in this, Malena; you will be leaving to join Kayta at her Island with the other riders. I have already asked to send up a couple of the women from the lower caverns to help you pack."

"Yes, Weyrwoman." She turned and left the room, pushing past a stunned R'nahl and N'kar.

"If you'll excuse me, I think I need some fresh air." Kayta stood and left the room as well. However, she slowed her pace as soon as she was out of site of the others; the last thing she wanted was to accidentally bump into Malena and have another confrontation with her. Thankfully she didn't need to worry as the weyrledge and the steps leading down to the weyrbowl were empty of life. She sighed in relief and leaned back against the Weyr wall.

She remembered N'kar telling her that Malena and Gineara had been rescued and she had assumed that they were both in the Weyr somewhere - how else would he have known about them? She had planned to ask N'kar to take her to them once the meetings were over with. The last thing she had expected was to be met with such hostility when she was finally reunited with her friends - but then what else did she expect? They had assumed that she was dead.

"Are you feeling well? I can call for a healer..." N'kar asked.

"I'm fine." Of course he would follow her out here. Was it under his own volition though? Or because the Weyrleaders had sent him?

"You're lying again. You promised you wouldn't do that anymore."

"I remember," She snapped, then immediately regretted it. It wasn't his fault that he hadn't been able to warn her about Malena. She hadn't given him a chance, and then there had been all those meetings... And she didn't know if the Weyrleaders had asked him to follow her around. He had probably just come out here to check on her because he was honestly worried about her. This was N'kar after all - the annoying brownrider who refused to leave her alone. "I'm sorry... I'm..."

"...Probably very tired. It's been a long day... and I'm sure things with Malena didn't help. I'm sorry about that. She's been wanting to see you, to talk to you, but I kept telling her to wait..."

"Malena doesn't understand what wait means." Kayta laughed. "When her uncle arranged a marriage for her with one of the Nerat fosterlings, she wanted the wedding to happen right then. Obviously that didn't happen."

"No."

"Faranth! If Ginaera hadn't wanted that firelizard egg so badly... Malena would have been happily running her own hold..."

"But you would still be a runner, and you wouldn't have impressed Lysith."

"A very good point." She couldn't imagine what life would be like without her dragon in it.

"And I wouldn't have met you, either."

There was an odd expression in the brownrider's eyes, something Kayta wasn't sure she had ever seen before. It wasn't quite desire, but not quite the simple and chaste affection of a friend. She felt her cheeks flushing. "You'd probably be better off."

"I would be flying thread, and taking care of Elanth, and never doing anything else even remotely exciting for the rest of my days." He smiled at her. "Regardless of how much you've driven me up a tree, and all the headaches you've caused, I'm glad I bumped into you at that gather."

"Malena probably isn't very glad. She probably wishes I actually was dead right now." Kayta quickly changed the topic.

N'kar's smile faltered a little. "She'll come around. They all will. Things will get better." He took her hand and dragged her away from the wall and back into the Weyr. "Now come on, the others are waiting," She groaned and he chuckled. "Lessa swears this is the last meeting of the day."

Kayta snorted. "I'll believe that when whers fly."


	25. Chapter 25

_Author's Note: Sorry for this update taking so long guys. It's been a really busy and rough couple of months! But things seem to be looking up now - so keep your fingers crossed that nothing else crazy happens!_

* * *

The sky was still dark when two wings of dragons came out of _between_ above the Island Weyr. Kayta watched from Lysith's back as the first wave of mainlander dragons landed and lined up on the beach. More dragons lined the cliffs behind the Weyr, their eyes whirling bright red, orange, and yellow in the pre-dawn light.

_I wish it hadn't come to this, but we had no choice! _Her attempts to have Lysith speak to Calaranth had been unfruitful. The Bronze dragon had refused to respond to his Queen's request, though Kayta suspected that that was more because Z'char wouldn't let him than anything else. So, instead of meeting face to face, they were being forced to invade. The thought made her sick to her stomach; there was so much that could go wrong! In her opinion F'lar's plan was hazy at best - there was no way for them to know how the others would react to their sudden appearance - and she was afraid that it would result in dragon fighting against dragon. Lessa had tried to tell her that that wouldn't happen, but Kayta knew better; Z'char had had enough power to convince the bronzes to attack Lysith, so anything could happen today.

What she wouldn't give to be able to talk to N'kar again, to have him reassure her that everything would be okay, but the brownrider had been absent recently leaving her with only the Weyrleaders and the multiple Wingleaders who would be transferring to her Weyr for company.

The beach below them was quiet and still except for a lone watchdragon and rider who were both dosing in the sand. The blue woke up and opened his mouth to bugle, but Lysith quickly commanded him to stay silent. His alarm turned into more of a burp instead; apparently some of the dragons still recognized her as their queen even if their riders did not._ I do not think we will have to worry. Sralth tells me the bronze and brown riders are drunk, the blue and green riders are unhappy with the bronze and brown rider's antics, and the lower caverns folk are scared. _

_Mmm. Take us down._ Her stomach lurched as Lysith tucked her wings to her sides and dropped. _NOTSOFAST! F'Lar wanted us to wait for them to land first! _

_I cannot help it if they are older and slower than I am. _The queen snorted and back winged at the last second, setting down gently on the sand. Mnementh's and the other Weyrleader's descents were slower, and Kayta could feel F'lar's irritation rolling off of him as he dismounted and joined the her on the ground. He had originally wanted her to stay in the skies with the other Weyrwomen for safety, and when she had refused he had tried to order her to obey him. Lessa had intervened and mentioned something about Ramoth's first flight, and he had chuckled and eventually relented, but he could still order her aloft at any sign of danger.

_Then be considerate of your elders. You are queen dragon, not a wherry. _ Kayta sighed and stepped forward, approaching the still sleeping bluerider snoring away on the sand. She nudged him, hard, with the toe of her boot.

He rolled over, blinking the sleep away from his eyes, and stared at her. Then, as he realized who he was looking at, the scowl on his face faded away to surprise and his mouth formed a perfect 'o'. "You... You're the... But he said you wouldn't dare... He said you would hide, like the spineless holder scum that birthed you..."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint him so badly."

"Sralth! Why are you doing your job you big overgrown firelizard! Wake the Weyr! Now!" The man yelled at his dragon. Kayta felt bad for the poor blue at that moment. He had turned an interesting shade of grey, and was huddled down as if he wanted to become one with the very sand beneath him. A low whine was emanating from his throat as he weaved his head back and forth, looking first at his rider, and then to Lysith. "Why aren't you doing as I say?"

"Because she is the Weyrwoman of this Weyr, and Lysith has commanded him not to." F'lar spoke.

Yet again, the bluerider's mouth seemed to form a perfect 'o' as he realized that Kayta was not alone. He spun slowly where he stood, taking in the two riders standing next to her, the dragons surrounding the Weyrbowl and hovering in the sky overhead - and then he promptly fainted. Sralth edged forward to cover his rider's body protectively, and Kayta reached out and patted him on the nose to reassure him. "He'll be fine."

_Sralth says that N'bel and the others are being held in the storage rooms. Their dragons have been chained._ Lysith informed her rider.

"Why didn't they fight back?"

_Their riders told them not to. _

"Shards." She cursed and quickly relayed the information to the Benden Weyrleader.

"R'nahl, D'mor, go see to them." F'lar started barking out orders. "N'kar, follow them, since this N'bel knows you."

"Yes, sir."

"Shall we proceed?" Kayta asked. She was looking forward to seeing the look on Z'char's face when he woke to find her and the other Weyrleader's standing over his bed.

"No; now we wait until we get their sign," He gestured in the direction his riders had disappeared.

* * *

R'nahl led them across the weyrbowl, keeping close to the water for fear of alerting anyone sleeping in the shelters here and there to their presence.

_Lysith says the storage caverns are in the cliff face near the kitchen cavern._ Elanth spoke to N'kar. _She says her rider says that if you keep moving along the shore the way you are going, you will run into the cliffs and can follow them up. _

N'kar passed the information along to his wingleader. The other man nodded and then frowned as a thought occurred to him, "They'll have guards - what should we do about them?"

The brownrider relayed the question back to Elanth, who replied with a snort. _Lysith says that she will handle it. She is still their Queen and they must listen to her._

_And if they're not riders?_

_She says the Weyrleader would not choose lower caverns folk or holders. He doesn't trust them. They might side with Kayta because she was one of them._

_Mm_.

They reached the cliffs the renegade Weyrwoman had told them about - a massive wall of rock that separated the beach and the weyrbowl from the rest of the Island. They paused to catch their breath but R'nahl would not let them rest too long; the sky above was beginning to brighten, turning from a deep black to dark blue.

* * *

"They've reached the cliffs." Kayta reported as Lysith relayed the other riders' position to her.

"Good," F'lar eyed the sky above them, then looked back at the Weyr. "Do you have any other friends amongst the dragonriders?"

"One or two." She admitted and flushed, reminded yet again that she had failed her duties as Weyrwoman.

"Have Lysith wake their dragons, and have their dragons wake them. It will be a shock to your riders when they awake to find themselves surrounded. I understand that N'bel and M'rocav are well respected, but if there are more men on your side, then it would make the transition easier."

"Of course." Before her rider could even make the request, Lysith had already reached out to W'fiel's bronze. Neither the dragon nor his rider were happy about being woken up, but once Kayta learns where they are, an idea occured to her – a way to help the mainlander riders that are on their way to free N'bel and M'rocav.

* * *

When Kayta had told them that the bronzeriders were being held in a storage cavern, N'kar had expected a maze like the lower caverns beneath Benden Weyr. Instead they found two men, fellow brownriders based on their shoulder knots, guarding the door to a dugout that was barely bigger than a watchwher's den.

"Lysith may have silenced their dragons, but that won't stop their riders from being quiet if they see us." R'nahl said as they waited in the shadows of the cliff and debated about what to do next. "We'll have to sneak up on them, rush them from behind…"

"It's already too late for that." D'mor pointed out – the sky had turned an even lighter shade of blue during the time it had taken them to reach the storage cavern, and they were now able to make out darker shadows around them. "They'd see us moving."

"But they wouldn't be able to see who we are. If the Weyr has been on a non-stop wine binge, we can just stumble around and pretend to be drunk."

"They have torches lit, as soon as we got close they would know we don't belong here…"

_Lysith says that help is coming…_ Elanth spoke up, and N'kar held up a finger to silence his friends. A short distance away he could see a woman approaching the two riders guarding the dugout. As she drew closer to the light, he noticed that she was carrying a basket and two mugs that steamed in the cool early morning air. They were too far away for him to hear what she said to the men - but he could hear one of the riders laugh in response and then they both took the mugs and the basket from her. One of the riders started to drink while the other one tried to grab her. She danced out of the man's reach and, N'kar couldn't be sure, but he swore he saw her wink in his direction before running back the way she came.

"Some distraction that was," D'mor complained. "She didn't give us enough time to sneak up on them!"

"I don't think that was the plan." As he watched, one of the guards began to sway on his feet and the other had slumped against the wall of the cliffs surrounding them. When both men had collapsed to the ground, N'kar led the others out of the shadows. R'nahl bent to grab one of the mugs. He sniffed at the dregs left in the bottom of it. "Fellis?"

"No, something else." He frowned. D'mor dipped a finger in to taste it, but his fellow bronzerider held it out of his reach. "I wouldn't do that - unless you want to end up like them." He nodded at the men snoring at their feet.

Inside the storage cavern, three bound and gagged men waited for them. N'kar recognized N'bel immediately, but he was surprised to realize that he knew the other two as well. He had suspected that the men who had been with Kayta at the gather had been renegades, and even though the Weyrwoman had confirmed it, it was still a bit of a shock. He recovered himself quickly though and bent to undo the ropes binding N'bel while D'mor freed the other men in the room and R'nahl stood watch.

As soon as his hands were free, N'bel pulled the cloth gagging him away from his mouth. "Mainlanders?"

"Yes," The brownrider watched as the older man struggled to his feet. "Can you stand?"

"I'm just a bit stiff, not crippled." He studied N'kar's face. "You… how did you find us?"

"Kayta sends her regards."

* * *

_They are safe!_ Lysith reported. _They have freed their dragons and are on their way back here_.

"Thank Faranth." Kayta sagged against her queen in relief. A short distance away, F'lar turned and frowned at her. "They're safe!"

Two familiar bronze dragons landed in the space just ahead of the Mainlander dragons gathered on the beach. As everyone turned to watch, M'rocav and N'bel dismounted from their respective lifemates, followed shortly by the Mainlander riders who had gone to free them. Kayta pulled herself up straight and nervously smoothed the front of her borrowed tunic before stepping away from Lysith side to join F'lar and the other Weyrleaders.

N'bel stopped in front of them; he glanced at Kayta for a moment, studying her, before letting his gaze settle on the Benden Weyrleader. "I understand we owe our freedom and allegiance to you now."

"Weyrs are autonomous."

"Yet that doesn't stop you from banishing riders if they upset you, or taking over Weyrs like ours."

"I asked them to help, N'bel." Kayta spoke up. "Z'char had to be stopped and there was no other way…"

"In time supplies would have run out, and the others would have seen the error of their ways. You could have waited until then and come back."

"And what about you and M'rocav and N'nyal? You would have been dead by then!"

"Sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good…"

"To continue existing on rations and letting our riders harass the holders? Some greater good!" Kayta snorted.

F'lar stepped between the weyrlingmaster and the queenrider before their argument could continue. "What's done is done. We cannot go back and change things, so we must proceed with the original plan."

"And what is that?" N'bel asked.

"Kayta has made a promise to us that this Weyr, regardless of what purpose it may have had when it was founded, will start to assist the rest of the Weyrs in protecting Pern from thread. We have promised her and the rest of the dragonriders here our support while they adjust to becoming a productive part of Pernese society."

"Our riders are set in their ways."

"They will not like it at first, but they will learn to adjust." Kayta promised, after all, she had learned to adjust to living on a tiny island without any complaints. "Let's continue with the plan, shall we?"

N'bel continued to glare at her, but F'lar nodded. "Which way to this Z'char's weyr?"

"Follow me." She jerked her head away from the beach, up towards the cliffs that surrounded the weyrbowl. F'lar, N'bel, and the other Weyrleaders fell into a line behind her as she led them towards the wooden building that Z'char had claimed as his.

_Now we get to deal with_ him_?_ Lysith asked. A vicious tone in her voice that Kayta had never heard before tinged her dragons mental voice.

_Yes, love. Now we get to deal with him and take back our Weyr_.


	26. Chapter 26

Author's note: I am SO sorry this update took so long. I sincerely thought I would be done with it last month, but then an unexpected surprise decided to rear it's ugly head. Unfortunately, as much as I would like writing to be my full time job, it isn't - so real life has to take priority when these situations happen.

In addition to all of that there was the problem of what to do with Z'char. I seriously wrote up to a certain point near the end of this chapter and froze. For days on end I stared at that blinking courser and wondered what the bloody hell was he going to do? There were so many options of what he could do, and I hope you enjoy the one I went with.

Thankfully we are almost near the end of this portion of the story arc. I have one more chapter to go to tie up any left over lose ends, and then I can start working on the fun stuff!

Thank you guys for sticking with me this far.

* * *

The smell hit Kayta as she walked through the door of Z'char's weyr. The cloying stink of sour wine, rotten food, and unwashed bodies filled the air and threatened to make her vomit. She clasped a hand across her mouth and nose and closed her eyes, willing the contents of her stomach to stay where they were. "Z'char! The Weyrleaders of Pern wish to speak to you!"

The only response was a loud snore emanating from somewhere in the darkness.

Kayta stepped further into the room, the toe of her boot nudging a tangled pile of... something... she hoped were just riding straps on the floor. Finally she reached the window and flung it and the curtains open, letting in fresh air and the light from the dawning sun.

Shards and shells! How could a man live like this? The room was a mess; men's and women's clothing lay scattered about and piles of plates covered with the moldy remains of food sat on the table, and so many empty wineskins! They sat here and there, laid limply on the floor, and hung off the back of chairs. _The lower caverns refused to clean after you left._ Lysith explained. _They are afraid of him._

"But I wasn't gone that long! Only a few days!" The Weyrwoman cried in surprise.

"In this humid environment it wouldn't take very long for food and wine to sour if not stored properly." One of the Southern Weyrleaders - T'gellan, Kayta remembered - replied.

"Why is his dragon not warning him of our presence?" Another weyrleader asked.

F'lar turned to Kayta, "What does Lysith have to say? Did she command him to keep his silence like the blue on the beach?"

_No._ Lysith told her rider when she was asked F'lar's question. _He is embarrassed._

Z'char's behavior had been pretty horrible, but why would Calaranth be embarrassed now? He had never seemed to care before... "Why is he embarrassed?"

A curse fell from the lips of a bronzerider as his feet became tangled up in the same riding straps Kayta had encountered. He bent over to free himself and Kayta realized with a sinking heart that they were not straps, but ropes. He held them up to better inspect a brown stain in the light. "Blood?"

"Where is he?" F'lar demanded.

Another loud snore emanated from the curtains separating the living room from the sleeping area.

She jerked her head towards the noise. "In there."

"Ladies first." Another bronzerider made a gesture that she should lead the way.

Kayta sighed and squared her shoulders. She crossed the room and passed through the curtains into room beyond. Surely it would not be any worse than this.

She was wrong.

Z'char lay in bed with two barely clothed beauties while a third sat in the corner, huddled into a ball. She was naked, her black hair hanging in tangles around her face, and there were raw marks on her wrist. She woke up as Kayta entered, whimpering at the sight of the men behind her.

"Shards and shells." Someone murmured. "How could he get away with this madness?"

The queenrider shook her head. She had always known that Z'char had a voracious appetite - Derana had alluded to it many a time when she brought the Weyrwoman her breakfast in the morning - however she had never thought that he would force a woman or that his tastes were so varied.

"Sshh. We won't hurt you." Kayta whispered. She knelt in front of the abused woman, her reasons for being here momentarily forgotten. She recognized her as one of the women who worked in the lower caverns alongside Berjoui who had recently married a holder on one of the other Islands. "We're here to help. Can you stand?"

The woman shook her head. "N-n-no."

The queenrider looked over her shoulder at the faces staring at the scene before them. She understood the woman would not appreciate a man helping her right now, but all the other Weyrwomen remained in the air. N'kar had always been kind to her though - surely he would see to it that this woman was taken care of as well. However his face was not among the ones watching her. "N'kar..."

"N'kar?" The woman gasped. "No. Not him. Please no!"

Kayta frowned, how did this woman know the brownrider from Benden? And why was she so afraid of him? He was one of the gentlest dragonriders she knew! "It's all right. He's a good man."

"No. He can't see me. Please. I won't have him see me."

"Why..."

"Here. Let me." T'gellan pulled a sleeping rug off the bed and wrapped the woman up in it. When he picked her up, she hid her face in his chest so no one else would see her. "You have more important things to worry about."

Kayta nodded. In the bed, Z'char and his other women still slept on soundly. She waited until T'gellan had left the room and then kicked the foot of the bed. "Z'char!"

The women woke up first. Upon seeing Kayta and the other dragonriders, they squeaked and squealed and ran out of the room. The Weyrwoman kicked the bed again and the bronzerider finally stirred. He groaned and sat up, blinking at them rapidly with bleary eyes. "Oh, well, hello there love. You're new... Are you here to relieve the others?"

He leaned forward, weaving slightly back and forth, and reached out to grab her arm. She stepped out of his reach though, and he fell out of the bed onto the floor, his arms and legs sprawled wide. "Someone sober him up please."

Two riders came forward. They each grabbed an arm, pulled him to his feet, and half walked him, half dragged him to the bathing chamber. There was a yelp as, Kayta assumed, he was shoved into the tub or doused with cold water. Perhaps she should warn them to be careful - he was still the Weyrleader after all - but after how he had treated her, and after finding the woman, she was not feeling very considerate towards him at the moment. Outside Calaranth crooned worriedly.

"Lysith, please reassure Calaranth that his rider will be fine. Unlike Z'char, the mainlanders do not believe in executing dragonriders." However what would happen to him after he regained consciousness was still unclear as the council of Weryleaders had not been able to decide on a suitable course of action. It had been decided that he would be stripped of his weyrleadership and grounded from future mating flights, but they could not banish him, as F'lar had done to the oldtimers, and, after hearing of his crimes, no other Weyr wanted him. Perhaps they would assign two other bronze or brownriders to follow him at all times...

Another dragonrider poking his head into the already crowded room. "The others are waking up."

Shards and Shells, Kayta cursed silently. "Lysith?"

_Some of the riders have noticed the other dragons in the skies. They are waking their dragons and trying to escape._ The sound of the Queen's bugle echoed through the Weyr. _You will not leave! I am your Queen. You will listen to me!_

Other dragon cries filled the morning air; worried croons, bugles, and even full on roars, punctuated by men shouting as they awoke and discovered the flights of dragons surrounding them. "Perhaps, we'd better address the Weyr first and deal with him later..."

* * *

"Coming through!" T'gellan exited from Z'char's weyr, carrying what appeared to be bundle of sleeping rugs. N'kar stepped back as the bronze rider passed by. The bundle moved and he caught a glimpse of short black hair and brown eyes blinking under the bright morning sun. Their eyes met for a brief moment and then the girl - for it had to be a girl, judging from how small she looked in T'gellan's arms - flinched and hid her face again.

She looked familiar, almost like...

_Kayta asked Lysith to ask us to start rounding up the dragonriders and other weyrfolk and have them gather in the dining cavern._ Elanth's voice interrupted N'kar's thoughts. _She will address them once everyone is there._

The dragonman tore his eyes away from the woman T'gellan was carrying. "Alright." He would need Islanders to help him locate all of the weyrs spread across the beach and assist him if any tried to fight back. He approached where N'bel, M'rocav, and N'nyal rested in the sand at their dragon's feet. "The Weyrwoman has requested we gather the dragonriders in the dining caverns."

"Have your dragons bespeak them then." M'rocav said.

"Our dragons cannot hear yours."

"Really? Why not?"

"The Weyrleaders believe it is because of the time your dragons have spent apart from ours."

"Then you better start walking. There aren't many of us, but we're spread out." M'rocav waved his hand towards the far side of the beach. "The older riders are closer to the beach, the younger ones are more inland."

N'kar raised his eyebrows. While Kayta insisted that these were good men, clearly they were used to delegating their work out to the other riders. "It would help us greatly if you would join us. The others may try to resist."

"I doubt it - they've either been celebrating Kayta's absence or hiding..."

"We'll go with you and your men." N'bel spoke up, cutting the younger man off. When M'rocav opened his mouth to disagree, he continued speaking, not letting him get a word in edgewise. "They are assisting us with reclaiming our Weyr. We cannot expect to let them do all the work. Will any of the other's be joining us?"

"Just D'mor and R'nahl." N'kar replied.

N'bel nodded. "M'rocav, go with R'nahl to the North side of the Weyr. N'kar and I will address the weyrs to the South. N'nyal, take D'mor with you to the Weyrling barracks and the Lower Caverns. Harnarth, please ask Lysith to let Kayta know that we should have everyone gathered in half a candlemark... possibly less if she has already started spreading the word herself."

"I believe Lysith is busy keeping the others from leaving." The brownrider could see the small golden dragon a dragonlength or so away. She displayed behaviour normally only seen at a hatching; she crouched low to the ground, her eyes red and whirling as her head moved back and forth.

"Well, then, let's go and reassure them."

* * *

One of the bronzeriders tasked with taking care of Z'char stepped out of the washroom and glanced at Kayta. "Where does he keep his clothes in this mess?"

The queenrider nodded towards a dresser in the corner that was half obscured by Z'char's wherhide. "How is he?"

"He seems to be sobering up some, but it still may be awhile before he's coherent enough to understand. Klah would help speed matters up."

"So would a fall off a dragon." T'gellan had returned. "But here is the klah. The dark haired woman in the lower caverns... Berzwee..."

"Berjoui." Kayta corrected him.

"... Sent it along with some other refreshments."

"Good." The other bronzerider took the pot of steaming liquid from his hands and headed back into the bathing room with it and clothes for Z'char.

"How long until the others are rounded up?" F'lar asked. He glanced around the room as if considering sitting down for a moment, however all of the available surfaces were cluttered aside from the bed - and, after their earlier discovery, no one seemed inclined to want to go near it. Kayta couldn't blame them.

"Per the message Harnarth passed on from N'bel to Lysith - it should take half a candlemark. That was a little while ago, so it should be almost time."

F'lar settled for leaning against the wall. "I've asked the Queens to land and for their riders to meet us with the other weyrleaders at the dining cavern."

Kayta nodded, but eyed the entrance to the bathing room. Something seemed off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it yet. But even though she repeatedly reassured herself that the bronzeriders had everything under control, she couldn't quite shake the feeling. "Do you think they'll be fine here without us?"

"Of course."

She nodded and followed F'lar out of the weyrleader's quarters and into the weyrbowl. Men and women from across the Weyr were heading towards the dining cavern, one or two stopping here and there to gaze up at the dragons flying overhead and amassed on the cliffs behind the bowl. As the Weyrwoman passed them, they dragged their eyes away from the sky to stare at her and whisper to each other. She tried to tell herself that it didn't matter what they said - she was their leader and doing this for the best of everyone involved - but the distrustful and hate-filled stares from her fellow islander dragonriders still stung, and the hopeful gazes of the lower caverns folk worried her. What if she failed them?

The din of the dining cavern shushed as she entered. She paused for a moment, feeling her courage wavering as all the dragonmen who had stood by and watched Z'char condemn her turned to face her. A movement at the back of the large room caught her eye, and she looked up to find N'kar standing beside N'bel. The brownrider gave her a little nod. Kayta smiled at him briefly and then forced herself to march towards the front of the crowd.

She waited until the last of the stragglers entered before starting to speak, but even so she hesitated as she was totally unsure of what to say. While F'lar and the others may have ousted T'ron, R'gul and the other oldtimers from High Reaches and Fort Weyr, she could not follow their precedent as she was not exiling any of the Islanders.

"As of two days ago, this Weyr is now known to the rest of Pern. From this point on we will be joining them in protecting Pern from thread and whatever other emergencies might plague our world." She paused and licked her lips nervously. "In return, they will support us with supplies until the holds can get back on their feet. However there are some other stipulations..." She launched into relaying the agreement that she had made with Benden and the other Weyrs of Pern, noticing as she did that the majority of her riders were unhappy with the news - which she had expected. However, there was a surprising amount of riders who actually seemed excited about the changes. While she had known a few, like W'fiel, were her supporters, and that others were neural, there was still a fair number who she had thought were Z'char's men. Perhaps they had only been following him to avoid problems...

"What of Z'char?" A dragonrider cried out.

Of course they would ask about their leader. It was only natural. However, she had been hoping that they would have discussed the changes in his role prior to this meeting. "Due to his crimes against this Weyr and the holds it protects, Z'char will be removed as Weyrleader. Several Bronzeriders will be joining our ranks and assisting with the running and the training of the Weyr until Lysith rises."

"Will you execute him as he was going to do to you?" Another dragonrider asked.

"No. The Mainland do not believe in execution for dragonriders. We need every dragon to fight threadfall. However he will be..."

Several dragons cried out at once; the cacophony of bugles and roars echoing throughout the weyrbowl until several had to clap their hands over their ears to block out the noise.

_Lysith!_ Kayta reached out to her dragon, but the gold's mind was in chaos.

_He escaped! He knocked out the guard riders and escaped! I will kill him!_

_No! Reach out to his dragon! Tell him not to leave!_ The Queenrider was distantly aware of dragonmen rushing around her as she forced her dragon to calm herself. _Make him stay!_

_He will not listen!_

_YOU ARE THE QUEEN! MAKE HIM LISTEN!_

The mainlanders ran out onto sandy weyrbowl, bolting towards the Weyrleader's quarters. They were too late; the renegade bronzerider had already reached his dragon and had launched himself skyward. The dragons above him swooped down in an attempt to force Calaranth to land, but the dragon blinked between.

Kayta held her breath - surely in his drunken state Z'char had not been able to summon an image to go between on in that chaos - but the death keen never came.

The Weyrleader had escaped.


	27. Chapter 27

Gone.

Z'char was gone and the Weyr was in chaos.

Riders cried out in surprise and joy as their dragons told them that the Weyrleader had escaped. They murmured amongst themselves; surely Z'char would come back for them and put this upstart holder girl who thought she could be a weyrwoman back in her place. Or perhaps he would find them someplace safe, away from the Mainlanders to start a new Weyr again.

The news spread like wildfire amongst the lower caverns folk as well - but they were less excited. Instead they worried that he might come back and blame them for helping the Mainlanders. That he would take out his anger on them.

But all of this was a distant hum to Kayta, like a bug buzzing around her head. She closed her eyes and pressed her hands against her ears as she directed Lysith to find Calaranth and his rider. _He is out there somewhere. He must be found._

_I know._ The Queen dragon responded. _He is not responding._

_You are his Queen, he must respond._

_He will not._

_You are the Queen..._ She repeated.

_I know_, Lysith said. Her tone was tight and harsh. It quickly became apologetic when she realized that she had snapped at her rider. _I am sorry. He is far away._

_It's all right love. Can you sense anything about where he might be_? Kayta asked, hoping that her dragon might be able to see or feel something about where the renegades had gone. She stretched out her senses, trying to feel what her dragon felt and hear what she heard. At the same time she was aware, dimly, of the Mainlander Weyrleaders shouting out orders and directing the islanders to return to their weyrs. _Is it hot? Cold? Light? Dark?_

_Dark, but not cold. He is very faint... it is hard to sense him._

_Keep trying love. Keep trying._

* * *

N'kar was tired.

As a dragonrider, he was used to being exhausted in one way or another. Protecting Pern from thread and other threats, along with riding watch, and taking care of a brown dragon, took a lot of energy. However, this time the exhaustion was different - perhaps it was because the mystery of Kayta and the Renegade dragonriders had finally been solved. Perhaps it was because they had gotten so close to stopping an evil man, only to have him get away. Or perhaps it was simply because he was on the other side of Pern, and here the sun was just setting when it was almost morning back at Benden.

Regardless of the reason, he longed to crawl into his bed and sleep for several days on end. However, he couldn't - there was still so much work to be done.

For the better part of the afternoon, he and several other bronze and brownriders had gone from weyr to weyr, notifying the Islander dragonriders of the changes that were coming - Changes their Weyrwoman would have told them herself if the massive Weyrwide meeting had not been interrupted by Z'char's escape - while others searched for the missing weyrleader.

Now they would need to alert the holds that looked to the Weyr of what had happened, and share with them the extra seed and supplies that had been brought in to augment their and the Weyr's meager stores.

Then tomorrow they would need to start evaluating the Islander dragonriders and running drills and practices so they would be less of a parasite and more of a valuable part of Pern. At some point, they would need to move out the riders who were being transferred to the...

_There is food in the dining caverns_. Elanth interrupted his thoughts.

_Good._ N'kar said. He was starving.

He turned inland. _Have they had any luck finding Z'char?_

_Lysith still searches for them._

_Ah._ He could see now that the Queen dragon had moved from her spot on the beach. She currently sat on top of the cliffs that separated the Weyr from the rest of the Island, her eyes glowing red and her head weaving back and forth. _She should not strain herself so._ Yes, finding the missing Weyrleader was important, but there were other dragons who hunt for him.

_She is angry and will not listen._

_I will speak with Kayta._

_She is with the other Weyrleaders_.

_And where are they?_

_In the dining cavern._

_Thank you._

When he had last been inside the dining cavern it had been packed with bodies, now it was almost empty except for the other mainlander dragonriders and the few Islander riders who Kayta said could be trusted. The mainlanders sat at one side of the room, talking and laughing amongst themselves while the Islanders sat on the other side of the room and watched them apprehensively - as if they were unsure what to make of their new friends. In the middle sat the Weyrleaders who were discussing what to do next.

"Where could he have gone to? If what Kayta told us is true, he has no friends in the holds or on the Mainland." T'gellan asked.

"There are plenty of places for a man and a dragon to hide out in the Eastern Ring Islands." R'mart said.

"And plenty of men and women who would be willing to help him cause problems too." K'van added.

R'nahl sighed and stood. "I'll take some of my men to scan them."

"No," F'lar shook his head. "We need you here to support Kayta - at least until her Queen flies and the Weyr has a new leader."

"Yes, sir."

"So that's it then? We won't be going after him?" Kayta spoke up from where she sat next to Lessa. Her eyes had been closed in concentration, but she opened them as she spoke, blinking several times as the room came into focus. "He must be stopped!"

"Yes, but if you and your dragon cannot reach him - how else can we expect to catch him?" The Weyrleader of Benden's voice was calm but firm.

"Lysith said he was someplace dark..."

"Which could be any number of places." Lessa said. "Calm yourself and your dragon - you'll need your strength in the upcoming months."

Kayta opened her mouth to continue the argument. N'kar stepped forward, closer to the circle of Weyrleaders and the movement attracted her eye. He shook his head once. While finding Z'char was a priority, the Weyr would suffer if its Queen was more focused on finding him instead of leading her dragons. She sighed and looked away.

"He'll have to come out of hiding eventually - he did not leave with any supplies." D'mor tried to reassure her.

The Weyrwoman glared at him, and whatever else he was going to say died on his lips. "He may be lazy, but he knows how to survive on his own. We all do;N'bel taught us well." She stood. "If you'll excuse me - I'd like to see what state my weyr is in, and the other weyrs will need to be prepared for the dragons and their riders who will be staying here."

"Of course." F'lar nodded, "R'nahl, D'mor, go with her."

"I'm quite capable of walking there on my own..."

"Yes, but until Z'char is caught, it would be safer for you to have an escort in case either he or his followers try anything."

Kayta gaped at him. "I have Lysith - she protects me."

"And she does a wonderful job, however, she must sleep sometime."

One of the lower caverns approached their group. "Excuse me," The girl froze when everyone turned to look at her and blushed, glancing at the floor. "I'm sorry."

"Go ahead, we don't bite." D'mor said. He smiled at her, his eyes sweeping over her figure appreciatively.

The girl's cheeks turned an even darker shade of red. "Wen is asking to speak to you, Weyrwoman..."

"Wen?" Kayta frowned.

"She was the one you found in his weyr. Poor thing was one of his favorites." She nodded in T'gellan's direction. "He brought her for Berjoui to look over. She dosed her with fellis to calm her nerves, but she's awake now and asking for you."

"Oh. Yes. Of course. I'll be right there."

"Goodnight, Weyrwoman. We will see you again in a fortnight." F'lar said.

N'kar glanced at R'nahl; would the Weyr be up to Benden's standards by then? Judging from the rebelliousness of the Islanders, he highly doubted it would be. Training them to be proper weyrmen again would be a long journey.

"Until then." She nodded at the men around her. "Goodnight and safe travels, Weyrleaders."

* * *

Instead of going to her Weyr as she originally intended, Kayta turned left as she stepped outside of the dining cavern and headed towards the small cluster of shallow caves and dilapidated buildings that housed the lower caverns folk.

_So we are not going after him?_ Lysith asked from where she sat on her perch. Her eyes, which had spent most of the day whirling red in anger, were now yellow and anxious.

_No, love,_ Kayta sighed.

_But he hurt you!_

_I know._

_He tried to steal our Weyr!_

_I know._

_We must find him and stop him._

_I don't like this any more than you, dear, but we can't go after someone we can't find._

_I tried._ The dragon's tone was mournful.

_You did your best, you wonderful beauty._ Kayta thought reassuring feelings towards the queen. _Rest now. We have a lot of work to do._

A hand touched her on the elbow, startling her. "See," A male voice said. She turned to find R'nahl at her side. "This is why you need us to watch over you until Z'char is caught."

Right. He and D'mor had been asked to escort her. She knew she should be nice as they and the others were helping her reclaim the weyr, but she glared at him for interrupting her conversation with Lysith. "Pardon me for speaking with my dragon."

She stepped around him, and continued her search for Berjoui's quarters. She had never bothered to ask what building her friend might live in - after all, the woman had always come to Kayta's rooms whenever she had needed something. Lower caverns women who were associated with riders were usually lucky enough to be placed in buildings closer to the beach, but since N'bel had been arrested, it was possible that she had been demoted to one of the caves...

Kayta was about to ask Lysith where the healer might be when the woman stepped out of one of the shacks in front of her. Berjoui smiled at the Weyrwoman and stepped forward to give her a hug. "I thought we would never see you again." She held her out at arms length. "How's your head? Your arms? You look skinny, did they feed you over there?"

For the first time since leaving the island, the queenrider found herself laughing. "I'm fine, and yes, they fed me. I probably ate better over there than I ever did here."

"I imagine."

R'nahl cleared his throat, reminding Kayta of his and D'mor's presence. Berjoui stepped away from Kayta, and out of the bronzerider's reach, and frowned at them. "Who are they?"

"Dragonmen from the Mainland."

"Obviously."

"They will be staying here at the Weyr while we try to straighten things up."

"Mm." Her expression remained wary.

"One of the weyrfolk mentioned the woman found in Z'char's rooms was asking for me."

"Wen."

"Yes. Who is she? The girl mentioned she was one of Z'char's favorites, but..." Kayta stepped closer to her friend and lowered her voice so R'nahl or D'mor would not hear her. "...She also recognized the name of one of the mainlander riders who came here with us."

"She might know him. She claimed once that she had been the weyrmate of a dragonrider from Benden," Berjoui sighed. "But we never believed her because what dragonman would want anything to do with a holder? And none of our riders would be foolish enough to put the Weyr in that sort of danger, by bringing another dragonman's woman here."

"How did she get here then?" The weyrwoman asked while she considered what Berjoui had just told her. Was it possible that Wen had been N'kar's weyrmate? Surprisingly, the idea bothered her more than she cared to admit. But if she had been his weyrmate, why had she not wanted to see him? Was she ashamed of what had happened, even though it had not been her fault?

"The same way you did; M'rocav met her at a Gather and brought her here about a turn or so before N'bel found you. She wasn't Queenrider material though and N'bel was adament that Lementh fly Lysith, so M'rocav set her aside to avoid any complications. Z'char took a liking to her shortly after that, though the feelings were not mutual. She hated him, and complained about him all the time - even dared to do so in front of his wingsecond once... which earned her a slap across the face. Then a few months ago she disappeared. When we asked what had happened to her Derana said she had met a holder from one of the other islands and ran off with him."

"Maybe she'd like to return to him."

"Or maybe there was no holder at all, and Derana was covering up for Z'char and his disgusting habits."

Kayta hated to believe that the old woman would betray another person like that. She sighed. "Thankfully he is no longer Weyrleader."

"Which leaves the problem of that old wherry..."

"Yes. Derana should have retired long ago - I'll speak with her in the morning." Yet another thing to add to the impossibly long list of things they must do to bring the Weyr around. "Would you be willing to take her place?"

"Gladly." Berjoui said as she led Kayta to the shack. "Wen? The Weyrwoman is here to see you."

The woman T'gellan had carried out of Z'char's weyr sat in a corner. Now that she was cleaned and dressed, Kayta could see why M'rocav and then Z'char had been infatuated with her; she was very attractive. So much so that Kayta, who had never questioned her own appearance, felt self conscious in her presence. Before she could ask what Wen wanted to see her about, the woman demanded; "Is it true what they say? That he escaped?"

"Yes, unfortunately. He pretended to be more intoxicated than he really was and overpowered the dragonmen left to watch him."

"Shards and shells." She closed her eyes and pressed a shaky hand over her mouth. "I want him to pay for what he did to me..."

"You're not the only one that feels that way. We hope to bring him to justice soon - Riders from the mainland are searching for him as we speak."

"Is..." Wen hesitated. "Someone mentioned N'kar earlier... is he here?"

"Yes. He's currently at the Dining Cavern. I can have him..."

"No!" She cried out. "I'm sorry, thank you, but no. It's been so long, it's better if he doesn't know."

"Who is he to you?" Kayta asked. The words came out a bit harsher than she intended, and she found herself flushing and mumbling an apology as well. "I apologize, it's been a long and trying day." Though, she considered, this woman had suffered more at Z'char's hands than she ever had.

"He was my weyrmate."

* * *

_AN; You know how I said it would only take one more chapter to tie up all the loose ends for this arc? Well, I spoke too soon. It looks like it may take two or three! But we're getting there! ~AS_


	28. Chapter 28

"Oh." So Wen's relationship with the brownrider was what Kayta had thought it was. "Then why do you refuse to see him? Surely he would be happy to know that you are alive."

"It did not end well between us." Wen said.

"Ah." That explained why he had never mentioned having a missing weyrmate. Not that the opportunity for the conversation had ever come up during the few times they had spoken.

"I said and did things I regret, and in the end I ran away rather than face him." She glanced at Berjoui. "I am sure she told you the rest."

"A bit."

"Someone once told me there were no secrets in a Weyr."

Kayta smiled. "Truer words were never spoken. Everyone gossips constantly."

"The dragonmen are the worst - they're just as bad as the old aunties and uncles."

"Apparently not. If they truly gossiped as much as you claim, maybe someone would have found me sooner." She glanced down at her fingers where they lay, clasped together, in her lap.

"What happened after you left us?" Berjoui asked. "Derana said you had married a holder on one of the Islands... is that right, or was she lying to cover for Z'char?"

"No, there was a holder. I met him when he came with some of the others to bring the tithe. He wasn't handsome, but he was kind. He told me if I ever wanted to leave the Weyr, I was welcome at his hold." She smiled at the memory. "Then Z'char learned where I had gone to. He came and threatened us and demanded that I return with him. My husband tried to protect me but..." Her voice trailed off.

The Weyrwoman could understand her fear: if Z'char had killed M'taren, what would stop him from murdering a harmless holder? "What is his name? And what hold? We'll be delivering supplies to the holds to make up for what we've taken outside of our rightful tithe. I'll have one of the men check for you."

"Veran." She whispered, tears falling down her cheeks. "At Shady Cove Hold."

"Wen says she was tied up in Z'char's weyr for two months. Please tell me he will pay for his crimes." Berjoui begged.

"He will." Kayta promised. She was unsure of what punishment could make up for all the wrongs he had done though. Because he was a dragonrider he could not be strung up during threadfall, and, as she had discussed with the other Weyrleaders, banishment was not an option. There had to be something...

"Has N'kar... has N'kar said anything about our son?" Wen's voice was so soft that Kayta almost thought she had imagined it at first. "Is he here?"

"A son?"

"Nelladwyn. He would be ten... almost eleven turns old now."

The brownrider had had a weyrmate and a son? Kayta stared at her in shock. "We did not bring any children with us."

"Oh. Of course not. It would be too dangerous." She sighed. "I was hoping I might be able to see him. I don't regret leaving the Weyr and N'kar, but I do regret leaving him behind. I always meant to come back for him..."

"I don't know when children will be brought to the Weyr." They would need them eventually to stand as candidates on the stand, but the priority had been to reclaim the Weyr and retrain the riders first. "You do realize, though, that if you see him, he'll likely tell his father that you're alive."

"I know."

"But you're still very adamant about not seeing him, correct?" Wen nodded her reply. Kayta rubbed at her forehead. "I understand you will need a few more days to rest and recuperate, but what would you like to do then? If you are... unable to return to Shady Cove due to... extenuating circumstances." There was always a chance that Veran might not want his wife back - if he wasn't dead of course. Kayta hoped that he would want her back and that he would not care that she had been raped and abused, but sometimes men could be idiots about that sort of thing. "You are welcome to stay here, of course, if you want to. But N'kar and some of the other mainlanders will be staying here -"

"I'd like to go home. As soon as possible, please."

Kayta glanced at Berjoui. "Is she healthy enough to travel?"

"Aside from the bruises and the burns on her wrists from the rope she's fine. It's only an hour straight flight from here to Shady Cove." The Healer replied.

Wen did not seem thrilled at the idea of riding on dragonback that long. "What about going between?"

"You know as well as I do that traveling between with open wounds is not recommended." She glanced over at the patient, finally catching on to her discomfort. "But we can wrap them up tightly and thickly and between that and a wherhide jacket you should be fine. Or there is always the option of traveling by boat."

"Of course." Suddenly Kayta could barely keep her eyes open. "I'll leave you to figure that out."

"Thank you, Weyrwoman." Wen said.

Berjoui led the Queenrider outside to where R'nahl and D'mor were waiting. She gave her friend another hug, "I'm glad you're safe. Tomorrow I will send weyrlings over to help you clean your weyr up."

"That would be lovely." Even though she had only been gone a little while, she could only imagine that what was left of her rooms was probably a mess.

Kayta's fears were confirmed when they finally reached her Weyr a few moments later; Z'char had clearly taken out his anger at her escape on her things. Someone had pulled her tapestries off the walls and shredded them. They had also taken an axe to most of the furniture in the room. Larger pieces scattered here and there told her that this pile of kindling was once a chair, and that pile was a table, but for the most part what remained of her furniture was mostly splinters. She could also tell that someone had also used the room as a privy; the smell of human waste was overpowering.

D'mor made a tutting sound. "Forget the weyrlings," He said. "You'll need an army of lower caverns folk to clean this mess out."

"We might be better off burning the place down." R'nahl agreed with his fellow bronzerider. "I'll have Xanth bespeak..."

"Who?" Kayta asked, reminding him that the mainlander dragons could not understand the islanders just yet. "Besides, there's nowhere else for me to sleep."

She stepped inside and made her way around the room, opening shutters and being careful of where she put her feet for fear of getting any of Z'char's surprises on her boots. The smell began to ease as the evening breeze cleared the stuffy air inside the weyr.

"You're going to sleep in here, like this?" R'nahl asked. He watched as she pulled a sleeping rug off of the splintered wood that had been her bed.

"Yes." She said as she held the rug out at arm's length, surveying it for any suspicious stains. When she was satisfied that it had not touched any of the filth left behind, she snapped it out in the air in front of her, clearing it of any debris that it might have collected when the bed was destroyed.

"It's not healthy."

"I won't let the others see me running from the mess he left behind."

"You're mad."

"Aye." D'mor agreed with R'nahl's assessment, though he winked in her direction. "I like it."

Kayta tried not to roll her eyes at his words - Z'char had not even been gone a full day and already the battle to try to woo her and hopefully influence the outcome of Lysith's upcoming mating flight had begun.

However, R'nahl had no such reservations and glared at his fellow dragonrider until the other man blushed from embarrassment. "I mean," D'mor continued. "You have to be mad to contend with this lot, but the Wingleader here has a point; you can't stay here. It isn't healthy until it's clean. I know you said there isn't anywhere else, but perhaps there's a Junior Weyrwoman's rooms you could use?"

"The Junior Weyrwoman's quarters wouldn't be any better. They're small, and covered in dust. Besides, the dragon's wallow is too small for Lysith."

"Tell her that we will watch over you." R'nahl said.

Kayta laughed. "That would never work."

Now it was his turn to flush. "I fail to see why it wouldn't. You spent all that time inside of that hovel with the Healer and the other woman, and the separation didn't seem to faze her then."

"Berjoui is one of my closest friends. Lysith trusts her. You, she barely knows."

"Then command her to trust us. She is your dragon."

Kayta stared at him in surprise. Who was he to tell her what she should do? She opened her mouth to tell him as much, but before a word could escape her lips a new shadow joined the others in the doorway.

"Weyrleader F'lar has asked that you join him and the others for a few moments before they leave." N'kar told R'nahl. He waited until the Wingleader was out of sight before turning towards D'mor. "Your relief is on his way."

"Do you mind if I slip away before he arrives?" The bronzerider asked. "There's that lass down at the..." He trailed off when he realized that the Weyrwoman was watching him.

N'kar jerked his head. "Go on."

"Thanks." He walked away whistling.

Kayta shook her head and turned back to cleaning up as much of the weyr as she could. It was hard in the dim light of the moons, but all she needed was a place to lay her head, and the smell was not as bad now that the evening breeze had picked up.

"Aren't there weyrlings who could help you?" N'kar asked after watching in her silence for a moment or two.

"Yes, Berjoui will send them along in the morning." Kayta told him as she moved debris off the bed. She sighed, shaking her head when she noticed that the mattress had been ruined.

"Why not wait till then?"

"I need a place to sleep don't I?" She glanced at him. Speaking of sleep, he looked tired as well; dark shadows clung to the skin under his eyes, which were currently squinting at her as if he could barely keep them open.

"Sleeping in here is hardly..."

"Healthy. Yes. I know. I already received that lecture from R'nahl." Kayta snapped. He raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed. "I'm sorry - it's been a long day."

"There have been several of those lately."

"Yes," She agreed. "There have."

"Why don't you sleep with Lysith?" Kayta stared at him and he frowned. "What? Have you never curled up with your dragon before?"

"No, I have, many a time." She corrected him. "But I didn't think that that would be allowed with Z'char still on the loose."

"I doubt he's going to come back here with so many Mainlander dragons about. And you'll have riders watching over you to prevent any attacks by men who are loyal to him. You should be fine."

"Good." Kayta stopped cleaning and wiped her hands on her pants. She'd much rather sleep with her dragon than in here.

"Just be sure to fall asleep quickly - before R'nahl or the others have a chance to protest." He added, and there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes when he smiled at her.

To Kayta's surprise, she found herself blushing. N'kar was quite a handsome man already, but when he grinned like that... well... it was easy to see why so many of the lower caverns women and green riders of both sexs stared at him longingly. She shook her head, what was she doing thinking of him like that? She had far more important things to worry about.

The queenrider picked up her sleeping rug and walked with the brownrider to where her Lysith laid in her wallow. She half expected the gold to speak up and comment on her thoughts, as she was prone to do, but the dragon wisely remained silent.


End file.
